Ravenfire Ashe: First Year
by Fanfictions4everscar
Summary: My name is Ravenfire Ashe. I'm just a simple girl with a dysfunctional - albeit wealthy and pureblood - family. Not surprisingly, I receive my Hogwarts letter and embark on my adventure as a first year. The year is filled with a lot of surprising twists and turns, like the Philosopher's Stone and my shocking new friendships. (Rating will change to M later in the series).
1. Chapter 1

**Hello, everyone! First of all, if this seems familiar to you, it was already posted. However, the series was put on hold. During that time, things changed as I was writing that effected what was already posted. Therefore, I had to start the series over completely. I hope you enjoy it, and this time there will be no holds.**

 **If you're new, welcome! I hope you fall in love with Ravenfire Ashe as well. This series will span over the course of all seven books/(eight) movies, but it will follow Raven through them during her time at Hogwarts.**

 **Once again, I hope you enjoy. Here is Ravenfire Ashe: First Year.**

 **Chapter One**

When the letter from Hogwarts arrived at Ashe manor, no one in my family was surprised…or proud for that matter. I was the daughter of the Ashes, an old wizarding family almost as prominent as the Malfoys. In fact, the Malfoys and the Ashes had been close friends for as long as anyone could remember. Draco, who'd grown up beside me and had been my best friend since birth, would be in the same year as me.

Both of us were very excited.

Malfoy manor was quite literally my second home. I could come and go as I pleased, and the Malfoys always treated me like a family member. More so than they even did Draco. And more so than my family did me. The Malfoys were always there for me when my own parents were not. In fact, I'd even taken up the silly habit of calling Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy 'Mum' and 'Daddy'.

Even though the Malfoys were far from a perfect family, they were a godsend from my own.

Lucius and Narcissa's marriage was devoid of passion, but at least they did not constantly argue like my mother and father. And while Draco was often bullied by his father, at least he wasn't beaten senseless by him as I sometimes was by mine. The Malfoys became my escape. My sanctuary. And my parents never had a problem with it.

The less they saw of me, the better.

I suppose I might be giving the wrong impression. My mother loved me, and it was obvious when she was with me. It was just that she was pretty absent in my life. If she wasn't needed, she would have no problem leaving me by myself or with the Malfoys. She spent a great deal of her time in her make-shift potions lab. It had been her dream to become a professional potioneer, but since we were so wealthy, my father told her that getting a job wasn't needed.

I had a sneaky suspicion that he was a tad more forceful about it since my mother never did pursue her lifelong dream. Besides, my father was quite violent in nature.

But I didn't need Mother or Father when I had the Malfoys.

"Hey!" Draco greeted, pulling me from my thoughts. I had just arrived in Diagon Alley, but he was already exiting Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions.

"Hi," I replied with a smile, "Where are your parents?"

"Father's next-door, buying my books, and Mother's up the street, looking at wands. Have you gotten your wand yet?"

"No, I just got here."

"You have money with you, right?"

I nodded, playing with the sickles and galleons in my pocket.

"In that case, I'm sure we can go around and get your things with you," Draco told me as we passed a shop that had several children crowded around the window.

"Wow!" I gasped when I caught a glimpse of the new Nimbus 2000 through the glass.

"I was talking to some kid as I was being fitted for robes, and I said that I would try to get Father to buy me my own broomstick this year. I bet he could buy you one too."

"I can buy my own," I defended.

"I know that," snapped Draco, "I just meant as a birthday present. It was only your birthday a few days ago."  
"Thanks, but my parents don't want me to have one yet."

"Then we'll buy your familiar."

"I have no problem buying my own animal."

"We didn't get you anything for your birthday."

"Your family threw the party! I should be offering to buy _your_ animal."

Every year, Draco and I had a summer party for both of our birthdays since they were so close together. His was at the beginning of June, and mine was at the end of July. The Ashes and the Malfoys alternated years that they would be planning, holding, catering, and paying for the party. And whoever threw the birthday party didn't have to throw the Christmas party.

"Hello, Raven," Narcissa greeted as Draco and I entered Olivander's.

"Mummy," I replied, smiling and receiving a hug as Draco walked over to the front counter.

"How are you, dear?" she asked, "Are your parents not here?"

I shook my head as she moved a stay hair out of my face.

"Pity. I love your parents dearly, but there are certain things they should not be absent for. I would have assumed that your mother would have made it at least."

"They probably just figured that you and Lucius would be here. Besides, Mother is working on a new potion."

Narcissa nodded, "Ah, I see!"

"Ten inches," Draco announced, brandishing his new wand in the air proudly as he returned to us, "Hawthorne and unicorn hair. Go get yours, Raven."

I nodded as I crossed the small space to Olivander.

"Ravenfire Rose Ashe," he drawled, already pulling out several boxes, "I remember the very wands I sold your parents. Both elm…just like Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy's."

The old man lifted his chin to gesture behind me at Narcissa and her husband, who'd just entered the shop. I turned around as he dropped the pile of text books into Draco's arms. I smiled at him before turning back to Olivander.

"Each has a different core, though, so I'll start you with a few different elm ones like I did with Draco."

I looked behind me again to see Draco whisper something to his mother before giving me a mischievous grin. Narcissa passed the message onto Lucius before leaving with Draco. I rolled my eyes and turned back once more to Olivander as Lucius moved to stand behind me.

Within the span of about five minutes, he watched as I tried elm wands with cores of phoenix feathers, unicorn hair, Veela hair, Kneazle whisker, dittany stalk, Kelpie mane, thestral tail hair, troll whisker, and coral. I knew none of them were right for me even before I tried them out. They felt like any other stick I might find outside. I never felt that magical attraction until Olivander gave me the last wand of elm.

"Thirteen inches, elm, dragon heartstring," the wand-seller said, handing me a brown wand with leaves swirling around the shaft and a red bulb at the bottom, "The core is the same as my own wand, renowned author Gilderoy Lockhart's, Professor McGonagall's, and I'm sure you've heard of Bellatrix Lestrange."

I'd never met Narcissa's sister, at least not that I remembered. She'd been put in Azkaban prison soon after I was born, but I'd heard plenty of stories about her. She'd been put on a pedestal by so many people that I could regard her with nothing less than idolization and admiration.

"Not to mention my own," Lucius chimed in, "In fact, the wood is the same too, as you've been told. The only difference between my wand and the one you're holding is that mine's eighteen inches long, which would be one of the longest ever recorded."

"Yes," Olivander agreed, "I still remember selling it to your ancestor, Brutus. It's a special thing indeed when a wand continues to live through the bloodline instead of dying with the wizard."

The conversation intrigued me, but I was eager to find which wand would be mine. And even more eager to find out where Draco had gone. I picked the beautiful wand out of the box. Predictably, everything about the wand was perfect. It felt right in every way possible, and apparently the two other men saw it also.

It felt as if the wand had been specifically tailored to match me. It was as though it was waiting for me to pick it up ever since it was made.

"I guess I'll wrap this one up then," Olivander commented, taking my gorgeous, new wand away from me. After thanking him and paying him, I turned toward Lucius.

"Daddy," I giggled my greeting and threw my arms around him. He rolled his eyes and didn't hug me back, but I noticed his slight smirk.

"I missed you," I continued dramatically, snuggling into his warm chest, "I haven't seen you since-."

"Yesterday," he interjected dryly as I stepped away.

"An entire twenty-four hours!"

"More like ten, as you left late last night. And you were sleeping for about eight of those hours."

I shrugged and chuckled lightly before turning serious.

"Where'd Draco go?"

"Can't tell you."

Olivander returned from the back of his shop with my wrapped up wand. I nodded in gratitude before following Mr. Malfoy outside.

At eleven years old, I was at normal height, weight, and shape for my age group. I looked like any other eleven-year-old, I noticed as I caught glimpses of myself in shop windows Lucius and I were passing. I had shoulder-length, brown hair and bright, green eyes. Nothing physically set me apart from any other kid in Diagon Alley. It didn't matter that I was a pure blood, that I was rich, or even that my wand was more beautiful than any I'd ever seen before. None of that mattered to me. The only thing that made me different on the outside was the cuts and bruises covered by my black jeans and cloak.

I sighed and continued walking. Along the way, we met up with Draco, who was poorly concealing something big behind his back. Narcissa walked next to him, carrying his books and his new eagle owl in a cage.

"What do you have?" I asked, eyeing him suspiciously.

"Happy birthday!" he exclaimed, pulling the cage out from behind his back. In it was the most beautiful black and white horned owl I'd ever seen. My mouth dropped open as Draco handed me the cage. Then I started laughing.

"I hate you," I chuckled.

"You're welcome."


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

"YOU LET THEM BUY YOUR OWL?!" my father shouted, "YOU NEVER LET PEOPLE BUY YOU THINGS!"

My father, Orion Ashe, had curly, black hair with golden, glowing eyes that seemed to analyze your every move. He was born in Ireland, while my mother was born in Australia. I'd grown up listening to both of their accents. Somehow, I ended up with my mother's.

My mother, Aurora Ashe, had long, blonde hair that she usually wore down or plaited. She was pretty with fair skin and dull, blue eyes. She sat in the chair across from me, next to my standing father. I trembled in my seat, but I knew better than to speak when being scolded.

"Your father just doesn't want anyone to think that we can't afford our own things," Mother added quickly, "Even if it's only the Malfoy's. It's important that we-."

"Shut up, Aurora," father spat.

Mother dropped her head as Father continued his lecture. I kept my eyes trained on my feet, but I wasn't truly listening. I was too busy trying not to cry and thinking about how I could have avoided this. Draco bought my owl without my permission. He tried to surprise me. I couldn't have done anything.

Then my father whipped out his wand, getting my attention quickly.

"Father, please! No!" I begged, but it never worked.

" _Crucio_!"

I fell out of my chair and to the ground. As jolts of pain continuously ran through my entire body, I cried out. I kept screaming as I writhed on the floor. I'd never been able to become numb to the Crutiartus Curse as I was able to with Father's physical blows. It felt like hours until the spell was finally lifted. When it was, I found that my nose was bleeding and Mother had left the room.

I laid on the floor, gasping. My vision swam as my father crouched next to me.

"It pains me to punish you like this," he told me softly before he stood up and left the room.

Once alone, I dragged myself over to the fireplace. I crawled inside and grabbed a handful of floo powder from the pot sitting next to it.

"Malfoy Manor," I croaked before dropping the powder. Moments later, I laid on the floor of their living room. Dobby, the Malfoys' house elf, came rushing up to me.

"Young Mistress Ashe! Are you alright?"

"No."

"Mistress Narcissa and young Master Draco are asleep," Dobby informed, "but Dobby will go and get Master Lucius."

I nodded as a headache slowly developed. Completely drained of energy, I closed my eyes and rested on the ground. When I heard the patter of Dobby's feet followed by the thud of Lucius' boots against the marble floor, my eyes fluttered open again.

"Daddy," I whispered, trying to force a smile as Mr. Malfoy scooped me into his arms.

I always came here after my father punished me. I never needed to explain myself when I suddenly showed up at the manor bleeding or bruised, or too exhausted to move. The Malfoys knew what went on in the Ashe household. While they did very little to stop it, they were always there to comfort me or to provide protection when I needed a safe haven.

I slowly drifted in and out of consciousness as Mr. Malfoy carried me to the guest room. That was the room I always stayed in whenever I slept there, which was often. The room was basically mine. Conveniently, it was right down the hall from Lucius' office.

"Thank you," I breathed to him as he pulled the covers up around me.

I sighed as I felt him stroke my hair soothingly. No matter how out of character, I appreciated the gesture. A moment later, everything faded to black.

* * *

A month later, I was preparing to board the train to Hogwarts.

My mother was the one who took me to Platform Nine and Three Quarters with all of my school supplies and my owl, whom I'd named Fatigo. The original plan was to meet Draco on the platform, but Mother and I were running late. Not to mention, the platform was mobbed with people. Neither of us could find the Malfoys anywhere.

"Just get on board," Mother told me, "You'll find Draco somewhere. I bet he's already on the train anyway."

"But I told him I'd meet him on the platform," I insisted, "Besides, I thought you were going out for lunch with Mrs. Malfoy."

"I'll find her once all these people clear out, but you can't miss the train looking for Draco."

I sighed as I let her steer me towards the train. She helped me haul my bags onto to the Hogwarts Express and pressed a kiss to my cheek before I climbed aboard. Without stopping to wave to her, I began lugging my things through the cars until a flash of platinum blond hair caught my eye.

Through the glass, I could see Draco sitting in the empty compartment, looking out the window frantically. When he heard the door slide open and closed again, his head whipped towards me.

"Hey!" he greeted, relieved, "Mad out there, isn't it?"

"Yeah," I agreed, putting my stuff above our seats.

"Sorry I didn't wait for you. Mother told me to get on the train. There were too many people."

"That's okay. My mother said the same thing. I was worried I was leaving you."

Suddenly, the door to our apartment slid open again and two other boys entered.

"Hi," the taller one with dopey eyes grumbled, "Do you mind if we sit here?"

"Guess not," Draco replied with a shrug.

"I'm Goyle," he told us, sitting down on the opposite bench, "And he's Crabbe."

"Draco Malfoy," he introduced, "and that's Ravenfire Ashe."

"You can just call me Raven," I added with a gentle smile.

Draco and I exchanged looks as our compartment fell into an awkward silence. It was clear that neither of us were overly thrilled with our new guests.

"Umm…so what house do you think you'll be in?" Draco asked.

"Probably Slytherin. Parents were. Though, I wouldn't mind Ravenclaw."

"No, I don't suppose anyone would, but imagine being in Hufflepuff!" Draco said, "I think I'd leave, wouldn't you?"

Both nodded solemnly.

"What about you Crabbe? Crabbe…my great grandmother's last name was Crabbe. Irma Crabbe. Any relation?"

Crabbe nodded vigorously at Draco before announcing that Irma Crabbe was also his father's great grandmother.

"Well, then," Draco replied, "What would that make us? Cousins or something?"

Crabbe opened his mouth to respond when another student burst in.

"Have you heard?!" he exclaimed, "Harry Potter's on the train! Just a few compartments down!"

The student left as quickly as he came, but Draco and I weren't far behind. We'd been told many stories about Harry Potter. He was the one who made the Dark Lord disappear, which likely caused my father's violent bitterness. We only wandered down the corridor for a moment before finding the compartment.

"Is it true?" Draco asked the unfamiliar boy sitting in it with black hair and glasses, "They're saying all down the train that this is Harry Potter's compartment. So it's you, is it?"

"Yes," Harry responded, looking over at me and the two other boys who trailed after us.

"I'm Ravenfire Ashe," I introduced, "And that's Crabbe and Goyle."

"And my name's Malfoy…Draco Malfoy."

The red-haired boy in Harry's compartment tried to cover up laugh, but it didn't go unnoticed by Draco.

"Think my name's funny, do you?" he snarled, "No need to ask who you are. All Weasleys have red-hair, freckles, and seven more children than they can afford. You'll soon find out that some wizarding families have it better than others, Potter. You don't want to go making friends with the wrong sort. I can help you there."

He held out his hand to shake Harry's, but it was completely ignored.

"I think I can tell the wrong sort for myself, thanks."

My jaw dropped slightly. I had to give this new kid a lot of credit. Besides me, no one would have dared say anything like that to Draco. I found a smile spread across my face before I could help it. Then Harry's eyes met mine, and he returned the small smile.

"I'd be careful if I were you, Potter. Unless you're a bit more polite, you'll go the same way as your parents. They didn't know what was good for them either. You hang around with riffraff like the Weasleys and that Hagrid, and it'll rub off on you."'

At the same moment Harry and Ron stood up, I stepped in front of Draco. Maybe it was to protect him, but maybe it was also to protect the others. Or maybe I just didn't want a fight to break out on the train.

"Say that again," Weasley growled, getting right in both of our faces.

"Back off," I spat, pushing him away from us, "He says stuff like that sometimes. Just deal with it! If you touch him, I'll break your nose."

"Yeah, Ron," Harry began, pulling him back, "Don't worry about it. He's not worth it."

Reluctantly Ron stepped back, and Draco began to push past me for Harry, but I shoved him out of the compartment.

"You idiot!" I almost yelled, "Our fathers will both kill us if they find out we got in a fight on the first day of school. We're above this anyway, right? Let's just go back and buy some sweets and talk until we get to Hogwarts."

At first Draco didn't move, he just held my gaze as if daring me to challenge him. I'd never seen the look on his face before, but I forced myself not to back down, no matter how intimidating the glare was. But then he turned and began walking back towards our compartment. Following after him, I watched him get more and more frustrated with every step he took.

"You know, it's a mystery that the Weasleys never ended up in Hufflepuff," I whispered to him, trying to cheer him up. At first, there was nothing to show that he'd even heard me.

Then, I saw a smile slowly spread across his face.


	3. Chapter 3

Once we arrived at school, we were led into a huge room with a ceiling that looked like the sky. I'd never seen anything like it, and even growing up in a magical family, I stared at it in awe. I was relieved to see that I wasn't the only pureblood that was fascinated by the ceiling.

When we reached the front of the room they called the Great Hall, we were to be sorted into our Houses by a talking hat. The list went alphabetically, and I was among the first students – even though I knew I would be in Slytherin like the rest of my family.

"Ashe, Ravenfire!" Professor McGonagall, a stern looking lady who immediately earned my respect called.

I made my way up to the hat. I could almost feel it thinking as it moved atop my head.

"Please, not Hufflepuff," I whispered under my breath.

"Hufflepuff girl?" the hat laughed, "Yes, you're very loyal, but Hufflepuff is definitely not for you. And while you're smart and creative like a Ravenclaw, the real struggle is between Gryffindor and Slytherin. You have quite a bit of courage in you."

"There are brave people in Slytherin," I hissed back, "and you just said I also have intelligence and loyalty in me too."

"I guess what we really need to decide is if you'd like to follow your legacy…or not."

"My entire family was in Slytherin."

"Yes, yes. You're family, but I'm talking about the prophecy. The one everyone knows about but has chosen to keep secret from you. It will lead you to great power. But power, this power, comes at very great a price."

"What about Draco?" I asked thoughtfully.

"I know nothing about the other students until I am placed atop their heads."

Like me, Draco's family had been in Slytherin for generations. His own values and traits reflected those of a Slytherin as well. Draco was definitely smart, but he was more Slytherin than anything. I knew without a doubt that's where he'd be.

And I didn't want to be separated from him.

"I know nothing about the prophecy, but if the choice is up to me, I'd choose Slytherin."

The hat hesitated, but then called, "SLYTHERIN!"

A great roar came from the Slytherin table as I made my way over and sat down, leaving an empty spot for Draco to occupy when he was sorted.

It was only about ten minutes later when he was called to the sorting hat. The hat had barely been placed on his head when it called out that Draco would be in Slytherin as well. With a smug smirk, he headed over to me.

I'd made the right decision.

* * *

The first week went quickly. My classes were fascinating, and Draco was in nearly every one.

It was on Friday, however, when our first potions class took place. Most of the classes we'd taken were just with other members of the Slytherin House, but this class – we were displeased to discover – would be taken with the Gryffindors.

Potions was in the dungeons, just near the Slytherin common room, so Draco and I walked together after breakfast, and then sat side by side in the classroom. Crabbe and Goyle had taken to following us around like our shadows, and they sat down behind us as class started. We didn't really mind, especially since they didn't say much, but I wasn't very close with them. For the most part, they sat behind us, laughing quietly as Snape began to pick on Harry Potter.

As every other teacher had done, Snape gave a speech that quickly outlined what we'd be learning throughout the year…if we were capable, of course.

"Potter!" he snapped suddenly, "What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?"

"I don't know, sir," answered Harry after the girl sitting next to him shot her hand up in the air.

"Tut, tut," Snape replied, smirking, "Fame clearly isn't everything."

I grimaced as he continued his onslaught of questions. Draco's bullying was almost acceptable compared to this, especially since he was a student instead of a teacher. My best friend shook with laugher next to me, but I couldn't help feeling bad for Harry.

How was he to know anything? He'd grown up with Muggles.

"What is the difference between monkshood and wolfsbane?" Snape continued. The girl beside Harry had suddenly risen to stand. My cheeks heated in embarrassment for her.

Did she not realize what a fool she was making of herself?

"I don't know," Harry responded, obviously growing tired of the game, "I think Hermione does, though, why don't you try her?"

I sighed and rolled my eyes. This was becoming a waste of time, and there was nothing I detested more than someone wasting my time. If there was one positive thing I'd learned from my father it was to not let anyone take time away from you.

"Or perhaps," I interjected dryly, "You should continue with the lesson instead of bullying a student who clearly doesn't know anything you're talking about seeing as it is only the first day of class."

Snape's eyes found me and narrowed. For a moment, I was nervous that he would take away House points, but he only turned and made his way back to the front of the room, as if the exchange hadn't happened at all.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Harry looking in my direction. When I turned my head to look at him directly, he gave me a grateful half-smile.

Finally, Snape started the lesson, and Draco was paired with me to make the Cure for Boils.

"Look," Snape interrupted the class, "at the perfect way Malfoy and Ashe have stewed up their horned slugs."

I blushed and silently continued working as the entire room glanced over to us. Surprisingly enough, I hated attention, which was likely the reason Snape said anything. It was his way of getting back at me for embarrassing him in front of the class.

But luckily the attention only lasted a few seconds before a cauldron melted. Two Gryffindors stood by it, shifting their weight uncomfortably, and guilty expressions on their faces. Snape scowled at them while their potion oozed all over the floor. Following his directions, we quickly stood on our stools as the liquid flowed past like lava.

I didn't understand why until some of the potion splashed onto another boy, who then had to go to the hospital wing.

The class, in short, was extremely unproductive. But I'd be lying if I said I wasn't very entertained.

"I don't know whether I'll like it or not," I told Draco as we made our way back to the common room, "Maybe it'll get better as the year goes on."

"Agreed. I wonder how any of those Gryffindors get anything done in their other classes. You were brilliant, though. It's a mystery you're not in Ravenclaw."

"Me? What about that Granger girl?"

"No kidding," he scoffed, "Standing up in the middle of class? Maybe I shouldn't have expected anything else from a mudblood. Anyway, at least you're smart _and_ attractive. Her hair looks like there should be squirrels living in it. Better yet, it looks like it _is_ a squirrel. A giant, mangy squirrel."

"You're so mean, Draco," I scolded, though I was laughing, "Maybe that's how muggles keep their hair, and she doesn't know any better."

"Yeah. Maybe."


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

It was about a week later when Draco and I were sitting in the Great Hall eating breakfast when hundreds of owls flew in through the rafters. I recognized Fatigo immediately as he flew over to us with Draco's owl, almost as if they'd become best friends as well. As both landed, I grabbed the big, lumpy envelope from Fatigo's mouth. As I broke it open, he began nibbling at my bacon.

"Mother says hi," Draco read from his letter as he bit the head off of a chocolate frog, "As does Father."

"My parents say hi too," I replied, letting my eye scan over the parchment in my hands.

It basically said that they missed me and couldn't wait to see me during the holidays, which I doubted was sincere. They congratulated me on making Slytherin and asked about my classes. They also sent several pumpkin pasties (my absolute favorite sweet).

And by 'they', I really mean Mother. Father had always seemed to hate me, ever since I was born. I didn't know why, but no matter what I did to try and make him like me, nothing changed between us.

He was even starting to become hostile towards Mother too. In fact, he seemed to dislike everyone except the Malfoys or his old Death Eater friends. As I'd been told, that's why he was so sour. Mother said he was a different person before the Dark Lord fell, but I suspected there was a little more to it than that.

"Have you heard," Draco interrupted my thoughts, "that we have to take flying lessons with the Gryffindors too?"

"Ugh," I groaned, "Thanks for reminding me. Why can't we have a class with Ravenclaw or something? At least then we'd be guaranteed to get something done."

"I know," he agreed before glancing at the Gryffindor table and squinting. After a long moment, he asked, "What's Longbottom got?"

"Who?" I asked, following Draco's gaze. There was a chunky-looking kid holding up a glass ball that seemed to captivate everyone. The ball filled with smoke before turning a bloody red. Draco laughed.

"It's a Remembrall," he stated, standing up, "Let's go."

I quickly gathered my stuff and followed him over to Longbottom. As we walked by, Draco snatched it out of the kid's hands. Harry and Weasley were both on their feet in an instant, but Professor McGonagall appeared just as quickly.

"What's going on?" she asked.

"Malfoy's got my Remembrall, Professor," Longbottom whined.

Draco's eyes narrowed on Longbottom. His upper lip curled in disgust before he turned to McGonagall.

"Just looking," he snarled as he dropped the glass orb on the table.

Then he grabbed my arm and pulled me towards the door.

"I've never seen one of those before," I commented once we were out of the Great Hall.

"That's because we're too responsible to need one."

"What does it do?"

"Tells you when you've forgotten something," Goyle, who'd been following us with Crabbe, interjected.

"You think you know more than me?" Draco challenged, turning to look at him.

"No. I just used to have one…lost it though."

* * *

Later that day was our flying lessons. It was a beautiful day with a light, warm breeze. It was beginning to cool down from summer, unfortunately. It would be autumn in a flash. I loved summer, and while autumn was enjoyable, it just took us closer to winter.

All the first years had looked forward to flying lessons since the beginning of the year. Almost all of them bragged about flying prior to school as well. I almost knew Draco's story by heart, he told it so often, and not a word of it was true. But I couldn't talk. I made up stories too.

However, while Draco always seemed to be narrowly escaping muggle helicopters, I would be flying through an enchanted, green, and luscious forest while dodging tree after tree. The difference between us and the others, though, was that we truly had flown before. Over the summer, Draco and I took turns on his father's old broomstick. We only flew around the house once or twice; nothing like the stories we told.

"Well, what are you all waiting for?" asked a woman with the eyes of a hawk and short, gray hair, "Everyone stand by a broomstick. Come on, hurry up!"

The Gryffindors that had just arrived quickly darted to a space beside an empty broom. Excited, Draco and I had arrived early and were already standing next to our brooms. And predictably, the Gryffindors had arrived just barely on time.

"Stick your right hand over the broom and say 'up'," Madam Hooch ordered. As everyone obeyed, Draco's broom shot straight into his hand, as had mine and Harry Potter's.

But as I looked around, I noticed that we were among the few who were holding our brooms already. Even Hermione's hadn't done more than roll around on the ground. I waited for at least five minutes until everyone was holding their broom. Then, our teacher showed us how to mount them. She walked around, checking our hold, but she stopped in front of Draco.

"Your grip is wrong," she informed and proceeded to show him the proper way.

"Impossible. I've been doing it this way for years!"

"Well, then you've been doing it wrong for years."

Once she moved on, I began giggling. In response, Draco scowled and elbowed me.

"Now," Madam Hooch called, "when I blow my whistle, you kick off from the ground, hard. Keep your broom steady, rise a few feet, and then come straight back down by leaning forward slightly. On my whistle. Three, two-."

But Longbottom was already in the air. Draco and I watched in awe as he rose about twenty feet in the air.

"Come back, boy!"

Draco's mouth curved into a smirk. Suddenly, Longbottom tilted forward, probably trying to land, but instead slipped off the broom and landed on the ground with a thud and a sickening crack.

I watched as Draco bit his lip to keep from laughing, but I didn't find it funny. Neville, I think his name was, got up and was ushered to the hospital wing for a broken wrist. I didn't know whether to feel bad for him or to be annoyed because this was now the second wasted class period because of Gryffindor irresponsibility. As soon as they were gone, however, Draco started chuckling.

"Did you see his face, the great lump?" he asked the class.

"Shut up, Malfoy," snapped an Indian girl as some other Slytherins began laughing.

Pansy Parkinson shot a snarky response back to her, but I was watching Draco's eyes, which were fixed on something in the grass a few feet away. He darted forward and scooped it up before I could even realize what it was.

"Look!" he said holding it up, "It's that stupid thing Longbottom's gran got him.

"Give it here, Malfoy," Harry snarled, stepping forward. Draco glanced over and smiled mischievously.

"I think I'll leave it somewhere for Longbottom to find. How about…up a tree?" he sneered.

"Draco, just give it back. It's not worth it," I sighed, but he didn't listen. Instead, he mounted his broom and took off. He hovered above us and called for Harry to go and get the Remembrall.

"Draco, come down!" I yelled, "You'll be expelled!"

At the same time, Hermione had been trying to convince Harry not to take Draco's bait, but it was useless as he took off also.

"Boys," I huffed in annoyance.

"Tell me about it," the girl next to me agreed before turning to face me, her hand outstretched, "My name's Hermione Granger, by the way."

"Raven Ashe," I replied, shaking her hand.

"You seem different than the other Slytherins. Nicer."

I opened her mouth to say something – maybe to defend the other Slytherins or maybe to thank her for the compliment – but there was a collective gasp from the class as Draco threw the Remembrall.

"Damnit, Draco," I muttered under my breath, charging towards him as he landed.

He watched as Potter flew, trying to catch the glass ball. I meant to yell at him, but I was distracted as Harry grabbed the orb out of the air and zoomed back into the grass. Most of the class cheered, but one solemn voice cut through the crowd.

"Harry Potter!"

We all turned around to see Professor McGonagall. She sounded out of breath and stumbled over her words, which was odd seeing as I considered her one of the most level-headed people I'd met, but she eventually told Harry to follow her. After they left, I turned back to Draco, who was smirking triumphantly.

"Do you think he'll get expelled?" he asked.

I glared at him and didn't answer. Instead, I began scolding.

"What is wrong with you?" I snapped, "You could have been getting expelled too. Or you could have been joining Longbottom in the hospital wing."

"Aww, were you worried about me?" he teased, smiling. I whacked him on the arm.

"This isn't funny. You could have gotten in serious trouble."

"Just calm down, Raven. I'm fine."

I scowled at him and walked off. If the class wasn't over, I assumed that Madame Hooch wouldn't be that sadden by one more missing student.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

"Having a last meal, Potter?" Draco asked as we passed the Gryffindor table in the Great Hall after the flying incident, "When are you getting on the train back to the muggles?"

"You're a lot braver now that you're back on the ground and you've got your little friends with you," Harry responded.

"I'd take you on anytime on my own. Tonight if you want. Wizard's duel. Wands only…no contact. What's the matter? Never heard of a wizard's duel before, I suppose?"

I was about to jump in and tell Draco to back off when Weasley responded. It was a horrible idea, the wizard's duel, but there was something about Weasley that always made my blood boil.

"Of course he has," the red-head snarled, "I'm his second. Who's yours?"

"I am," I growled, stepping forward.

I couldn't explain what it was. It could have been anything, but I just despised him. Perhaps it was the way he treated both Draco and I with such hatred. Or maybe it was because they were blood traitors, and I was always taught to hate blood traitors. The whole Weasley family disgusted me.

"Midnight alright?" Draco jumped in as Weasley glared at me, "We'll meet in the trophy room. That's always unlocked."

"Fine," sneered Weasley.

I turned away with Draco by my side. As we began to leave the Great Hall, I turned to Draco.

"Don't do this."

"I don't want to talk about it with you," he snapped, "I don't know who you think you are, but you're not my mother. You don't get to control me. And you're one to talk, volunteering as my second."

"You would have chosen me anyway, and I only did it because Weasley was being a jerk. We shouldn't follow through with it."

"Don't you have someone better to pester?" he asked.

The remark stung, but I understood. He didn't want me to truly leave him alone. He just wanted me to quit bothering him about his feud with Harry. The only way to really do that was to get rid of me for a while. So, I sighed and nodded before heading off to the library. Maybe this would give him a chance to think it over and decide he wasn't going to attack Harry in the trophy room.

"Raven!" someone called behind me when I was halfway up the stairs. I turned and saw Hermione jogging to catch up with me.

"What's going on?" I asked.

"I overheard what's happening between Malfoy and Harry."

"I'm going to try to talk Draco out of it later. He wants to be alone for now. Besides, he can be very hard to convince sometimes."

"I know the feeling. I've already spoken to Ron and Harry, but I don't think they'll change their minds."

"Well, if they're caught dueling, they'll get expelled for sure."

"Maybe you could use that to convince Draco not to show."

I paused for a moment, formulating a plan.

Then I felt a mischievous smirk spread over my face.

* * *

"Draco, please! It's not worth it!" I whined dramatically, following him as he made his way towards the exit of the common room, "If you're even caught out of bed, Slytherin will be docked tons of points. Not to mention what'll happen if you get caught in mid-duel."

It was eleven thirty, and Draco was on his way out of the common room. I desperately followed him, trying to get him to stay.

"You can't go without your second," I said stubbornly, stopping where I was. Draco had ultimately been ignoring me, but as I stopped following him, he whirled around to face me, murder in his eyes.

"What's wrong with you?" he snapped, "You're pathetic, backing down from a fight. You don't have to be such a coward."

"Shut up, Draco. If we go, we'll get caught and lose House Points. Harry and Weasley are going anyway. Why not just let them go and lose Gryffindor House Points? They might even get expelled. How much satisfaction would you get if you were expelled with them?"

Draco stopped to think about it for a moment. He knew I was right…he just didn't want to admit it, at least not eagerly.

"You know me," I continued, "Would I ever back away from a fight unless it was the smartest choice?"

"I guess not," he responded, a little smirk spreading over his face, "Fine. Let them lose their own House Points."

* * *

The next day, we sat in the Great Hall eating breakfast.

Though we hadn't gone out, we had both been up late, and because of it, Draco and I were both really tired, as were Harry and Weasley apparently.

I was right, they had gone out the previous night, but somehow they hadn't lost any Points. Hermione had told me when she thanked me for keeping Draco in the common room. I didn't tell him, though; he'd just get angry. I was sure he'd find out soon enough.

But then the owls came with the mail, and Draco caught sight of the large, long package for Harry.

"What's that?" he snarled more to himself than to me, "It can't be a broom!"

"Be careful, Draco," I sighed, buttering some toast, "You wouldn't want your skin to turn green with envy. I'm afraid that complexion would really look awful with your hair."

But Draco hardly heard me as he got to his feet and walked over to Harry. Scowling, I abandoned my toast and quickly collected my things before scurrying after him. We ran into Harry and Weasley as they were exiting the Great Hall. We were standing in the entry way when Draco snatched the package out of Harry's hand.

"That's a broomstick," he confirmed after feeling it and throwing it back, "You'll be in for it this time, Potter. First years aren't allowed to have them."

I could feel the jealousy too. Draco and I had dreamed about flying and playing Quidditch for as long as I could remember. But I wasn't going to blame or bully Harry for it. In fact, the less I thought about things that made me jealous, the better I felt. But of course, Weasley had to make sure that my happiness didn't last for long.

"It's not just any old broomstick," he gloated, "It's a Nimbus 2000. What did you say you've got at home, Malfoy? A comet 260? Comets look flashy, but they're not in the same league as the Nimbus."

I had to admit, over the first few weeks, despite my indifference towards Harry and growing alliance with Hermione, I was really starting to hate Weasley with a passion.

"Shut up," I snapped, "You couldn't even afford half the handle. You have no room to talk."

"Yeah, I suppose you and your brothers would have to save up twig by twig," Draco added.

Weasley, who was visibly itching to fight us, opened his mouth to respond, but Professor Flitwick appeared.

"Not arguing, I hope?" he asked in his squeaky voice.

"Potter's been sent a broomstick, Professor," Draco tattled, reminding me a little of the way Longbottom whined when Draco took his Remembrall.

"Yes. Yes, that's right," Flitwick mused, "Professor McGonagall told me all about the special circumstances, Potter. And what model is it?"

"A Nimbus 2000, sir," Potter answered, "And it's really thanks to Malfoy here that I've got it."

I watched as Draco glared daggers at Harry before he grabbed my arm and pulled me away.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

"I can't believe it!" growled Draco back in the common room, "They break the rules all the time! They should be expelled by now, but they just keep getting rewarded!"

I sighed, remaining silent. I didn't know how to comfort him, and honestly, I felt the same way. It wasn't fair that the trio could do whatever they wanted without suffering any consequences. And everyone knew that it was just because Potter was famous.

"It's not like he can fly better than me or you. It's only because a teacher caught him breaking the rules! It's not fair," he went on, getting angrier the more he spoke.

"He isn't any better than you, Draco," I told him, standing from the leather chair I was sitting in to meet him as he paced in front of the fireplace.

"I know," he snapped, but I could tell he wasn't convinced.

His ego had taken a serious blow that morning. Actually, his ego had been slowly tortured throughout the entire year so far, and while he'd never admit it, I knew that he felt insignificant next to Potter.

"What does he have that you don't?" I challenged.

"Fame," Draco muttered.

"No, he has a scar on his forehead and a family of muggles. You have more money and better friends. His broom came from a teacher, but we have enough money to buy the entire school new broomsticks.

"Not to mention the people he's friends with. He's only got Weasley. And did you see him bragging today? Maybe he's only Harry's friend to help his own reputation. Besides, he only met them this year. You've known me your whole life."

"You're right," he agreed, stepping forward and pulling me into a hug. I immediately stiffened.

I'd given many hugs to both him and his parents as well as my own mother. The only difference was that no one had ever initiated a hug with me. I was always the one who wrapped their arms around the other person. No one had ever pulled me into any sort of embrace.

After only a short moment of shock, I relaxed and hugged him back.

"I'm lucky to have you," he whispered, and I felt tears in my eyes.

* * *

Ever since we were little, mine and Draco's favorite holiday had always been Halloween. At Hogwarts, it only got better.

We sat at the Slytherin table and chatted with Pansy, Blaise, Crabbe, and Goyle while we stuffed our face with cauldron cakes, pumpkin pasties, chocolate frogs, and several other foods made largely of sugar. That night, at the feast, Draco's world somehow didn't revolve around Harry for once.

In fact, everything was pure fun and food until…

"TROLL!" Professor Quirrell exclaimed, bursting through the doors to the Great Hall and charging up to Dumbledore's seat, "Troll! In the dungeons! Thought you ought to know…."

The entire student population sat in complete silence – not sure what to make of the news – as he fainted. Was he being sincere? Or was this just a trick that the staff played on the students during Halloween?

But when Professor Quirrell fainted, it set off a burst of chaos. Even the older students stood up, yelling and running towards the door. Even Draco screamed in terror and jumped to his feet.

However, even amidst the terror, my curiousity was sparked. I'd never seen a real troll, only pictures from books.

The hall was pulled back into silence by purple firecrackers from Dumbledore's wand.

"Prefects," he said calmly once he had everyone's attention, "Lead your Houses back to your dormitories immediately."

"But ours is in the dungeons!" whispered Pansy, "That's where the troll is at!"

She was right, but our prefect still began leading the way to the dungeons. As soon as Dumbledore was done talking, everyone else began speaking to one another once again as they flocked towards the doors.

"Wait! Draco!" I yelled over the roar of our peers once we'd gotten out of the Great Hall.

"What?!" he screeched back, eyes alive with panic.

"I wanna see it."

"Are you crazy? It's a troll. It'll kill you."

"I've never seen one before. Don't you want you see it?"

"No!"

"Please come with me, Draco," I begged, stopping in the middle of the hallway as the other students rushed around us.

He stared back at me for a few seconds, considering it, but then he shook his head and disappeared into the crowd with an almost-apologetic grimace.

And then I was standing alone.

Before anyone could notice, I began walking again, inching myself closer and closer to the side, where a hallway was coming up. As soon as I reached it, I slipped down it. It was dark and quiet, and no one noticed that I'd escaped.

I knew that the troll had last been seen down in the dungeons, but all the Slytherins would be down there now. Not to mention all the teachers. My plan was to wait where I was until it had quieted down a little. Then I'd explore and try to find the troll, assuming I didn't run into any teachers along the way.

In the meantime, I walked around the dark, hauntingly empty corridors until I stopped suddenly, feeling the ground beneath my feet tremble.

I stood, frozen a few feet away from a corner that led to another corridor, but I didn't dare move closer because I knew what was around the other side. As the first foot of the huge troll emerged from around the bend, my heart leapt.

The only thing I recalled about trolls, besides the fact that they were huge, was that they weren't exactly known for their intelligence. I held my breath and remained as silent as I could, hoping that he wouldn't notice me even though I was in plain sight.

But when he took his next step, the ground trembled especially violently. It felt like an earthquake, and it threw me to the ground. I made a sound halfway between a gasp and a yelp, and the beast's eyes turned towards me.

We held eye contact for a moment.

Then I was on my feet again, running as fast as my short, young legs could take me, but it wasn't fast enough. Before I'd even taken five strides, the monster had scooped me up effortlessly and held me upside down.

I scrambled towards the troll's hand, at least hoping to pull myself so that I was upright. However, I couldn't. I was forced to remain, dangling as the troll studied me, deciding if I was a worthy meal.

I looked up at my robes, which were hanging towards my head since I was upside-down, but from the position I was in, I couldn't reach my wand. I thought quickly for any way I could get out of the predicament, but I had nothing. Suddenly, I was really beginning to panic.

The troll seemed to decide that I would be quite tasty, so he slowly brought me closer and closer to the slimy, stinking hole that was his mouth. I got a clear view of his teeth, which were blackened and covered with a layer of grime.

I began squirming wildly in his grasp, trying to get free before he devoured me.

Then, there was a bright, white flash, and I fell to the ground.

The troll was howling in pain and shaking his hand as if it burned. Then he ran down the corridor, seemingly in no hurry to get away from me. I, on the other hand, stood up and began looking around for the person who'd cast the spell, but there was no one.

I wondered if they were hiding, but if it was a teacher, I thought that it would be best to go to the dungeons before they found me.

So instead of searching for my savior, or calling out to thank them, I turned and fled.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven**

"Are you excited for the holidays?" Draco asked me in potions class one day after the snow had begun falling.

I shrugged.

"There's ups and downs," I responded, huddling closer to him around the warm cauldron. I discovered, much to my disdain, that it got cold in the dungeons during the winter. The heat, whether magical or mundane, didn't seem to reach the corridors, potions classroom, or the Slytherin common room.

"I'm excited to see your parents," I went on, "And I'm looking forward to the Christmas party. I'm just…scared to see my father again."

Draco nodded, clenching his jaw slightly. He hated the fact that I was so scared of my own father, even though I knew he was scared of his as well. But he never talked about it with me. This time, when he opened his mouth, I thought that maybe he would finally say something, but instead, he turned to pick on Harry.

"I do feel sorry for all those people who have to stay at Hogwarts for Christmas because they're not wanted at home," he commented, seemingly talking to me, but it was obvious his words were only meant for Harry.

I realized that if Harry or Weasley were in the room, I was barely even alive to Draco. Maybe that was the true reason I was tired of his bullying…because I wished that I could be the center of his attention like I used to be.

After potions, I walked with Crabbe, Goyle, and Draco through the corridors until we came to Hagrid, who was carrying a Christmas tree to the Great Hall. Unfortunately, we were going to have to pass Harry and Weasley, who were talking to him.

"Excuse me," I said, trying to be polite as they took up the entire hallway space, but then Draco chimed in.

"Are you trying to earn some extra money, Weasley? Hoping to become gamekeeper yourself when you leave Hogwarts, I suppose."

"Come on, Draco," I muttered, tugging at his elbow, but he yanked it out of my grip.

"That hut of Hagrid's must seem like a palace compared to what your family is used to," he continued.

I rolled my eyes, but then Weasley lunged at Draco. Though I still wished Draco had never stopped to antagonize Weasley, I still found myself shoving him away as he lunged at my best friend. Weasley fell back against the nearest wall but pushed himself off immediately, beginning to come at us again.

"Weasley!" someone snapped. All of us turned to see Snape making his way down the corridor, his cloaks billowing behind him.

"He was provoked, Professor Snape," Hagrid interjected, "Malfoy was insultin' his family. And he wasn't the only one fightin'. Ashe shoved him into the wall."

"I saw what happened, Hagrid. Miss Ashe was obviously only trying to defend Mr. Malfoy. And regardless of whether or not he was provoked, fighting is against the rules. Five points from Gryffindor, Weasley, and be grateful it isn't more. Move along, all of you."

* * *

It wasn't until we'd boarded the train to go home that Draco seemed to calm down. We didn't even speak of them for almost the entire ride. Instead, we joked around and talked about everything we would do over the next week or two while we were on break.

But as we got closer and closer to platform 9 ¾, I began to feel nervous.

"Are you alright?" Draco asked, noticing my shaking hands.

"Fine…I'm just worried about my father."

"Just look forward to the Christmas party. And remember, when things get bad, you can always come to my house."

Every Christmas Eve, the family that didn't throw the summer party would throw a Christmas party. It was always the best part of the holidays. The one day of the year that I could forget everything that troubled me. Father even usually left me alone on that one day.

This year, the Ashes would be hosting. I knew from her letters that Mother had been working very hard in her planning for at least the past month, so I was confident that it would be a sensational party. She even wrote about a new potion she'd concocted. It was a mix between a special fruit punch and the Elixir to Induce Euphoria.

Finally, as the train pulled into the station, we collected our things and got off. We found our mothers easily since only about half the school had come home. I did sort of feel bad for the people who couldn't go home over the holidays, but I also understood that there were many circumstances that prevented it. But honestly, if I had the choice, I would put up with my father for the party.

"Hello!" my mother greeted, rushing to give me a hug, "I want to hear all about your first semester."

As she stepped back to look at me, she noticed my uneasiness. She was my mother, and I could see she loved me very much, even if I didn't see her very often. But she was afraid of Father too, so she often didn't step in while he was beating or yelling at me. And she felt guilty because of it, but I didn't blame her. I didn't want her to interfere if she would get hurt.

The last thing I wanted was for her to get hurt because of me.

"I'm sorry, darling," she said, eyes clouding over with tears. She didn't like seeing me scared of the man she'd married, the man she'd fallen in love with at some point, no matter how long ago, "You're not in trouble for anything, so it should be safe to go home."

But we both knew that Father would find anything to start a fight with one of us if he was in the right mood. It didn't matter that I had done nothing wrong. He once yelled at mother for bringing home the wrong kind of ice cream after a trip to Diagon Alley. He once yelled at me for looking at him the wrong way. However, I just smiled and nodded. That was not a conversation for now.

I stepped away and turned to greet Narcissa.

"Hello," I muttered, giving her a hug. I avoided calling the Malfoys Mum and Daddy in front of my real parents. I didn't want them to feel offended or hurt.

"Hello, dear. Are you ready?"

"For what?"

"The four of us are going to go out to eat in celebration of your first semester at Hogwarts. It's a very nice restaurant, and I know the chef personally."

I let out a breath and let myself relax.

I had at least a couple hours until I'd see my father again.

* * *

"There was a troll," Draco shared over dessert.

After we talked about almost all of our classes and classmates in great detail, we ordered a cauldron cake to split. The entrée and appetizers had both been amazing.

Narcissa was right. It was a very nice restaurant.

"In one of your classes?" asked Narcissa, "Aren't they rather big? I suppose there are certain trolls that aren't too big."

"I think it was a mountain troll," I clarified, "and it was huge! It broke into the school during Halloween. I thought I was the only student who actually saw it, but then I heard that some Gryffindors had lost points trying to fight it."

"You saw it?" my mother asked, "How?"

"She snuck away to catch a glimpse of it," Draco laughed, but my mother was unamused.

"That was very dangerous. You could have been killed!"

But I just shrugged.

"Sometimes dangerous things are worth doing," I muttered, "I'd rather experience things than live my life in fear. Besides, I'm fine, aren't I? What about the other Gryffindors?"

"Potter and Weasley," Draco spat, "They deserve worse than a few deducted House points. Potter even made it on the Quidditch team as a first year. And Weasley attacked me today!"

Mother was still looking at me in disapproval, but Narcissa gave Draco and I a gentle smile.

"Well, dears," she began, "people like the Weasleys don't like people like us because they're jealous. We have money and prestige, and they have nothing. As for Potter, he was born with undeserved luck. I know it isn't fair, but he'll always be given special treatment. Try not to let it bother you too much.

'We all know that our families are better than theirs."


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight**

The night following was the Christmas party.

Our house was littered with fancy decorations including a giant tree standing in our main hallway. As the party was beginning, Father had me standing by the door and taking people's coats. Among the guests were the Malfoys (obviously), most of my father's death eater friends, and other wealthy pureblood families.

"Daddy!" I giggled, taking Lucius' coat.

"Raven," he greeted politely with a nod, "Where's your father?"

"Either in the drawing room or the main hall."

He nodded before walking away. A few moments later, Narcissa and Draco walked through the door, and after I took Narcissa's coat, Draco handed me a medium-sized package.

"Merry Christmas!" he said.

"Merry Christmas," I responded, smiling, "I left your present upstairs."

"We can get it later. Open yours."

I smiled and sat on the marble flooring as I began to unwrap the package. Once I peeled away the thick paper covering it, I found a beautiful mahogany box. As I opened it, I looked over at Draco, who had also sat on the floor and was watching me excitedly. When I opened the box, I saw a bunch of little figures and a checkered board.

"Wizard's Chess!" I exclaimed, "I've wanted this for ages!"

Without waiting for a response, I stood up and ran to my room.

Luckily, it was close to the top of the stairs or I would have had a lot of running to do. Ashe Manor, like Malfoy Manor, was extremely large. It was about the size of a muggle hotel.

I put my new chess set on my bed before grabbing Draco's present. Mother and I had gone out that day and bought him a pair of omnioculars. They were similar to a muggle pair of binoculars, only they could zoom in and slow down. They even said the names of certain moves if you were using them to watch Quidditch. When I got to the bottom of the steps, I handed him the package, he tore through the paper like a hungry wolf. When he saw his gift, his face lit up.

"Thanks!" he said, holding them to his eyes and pointing them into the other room where the other guests mingled about, "Let's find my father. I want to show him."

Spotting my mother in the other room, I hurried over with Draco right behind.

"Where's Father?" I asked as my red Christmas dress sparkled in the dimly lit room.

Mother turned away from one of her friends and towards me, holding a glass of champagne in her hand.

"He's in his study with Mr. Malfoy."

I nodded and made my way across the hall.

Many people stopped us along the way to drunkenly wish us a Merry Christmas and to congratulate us on being accepted into Hogwarts. Everyone in the room seemed so happy. Mother's potion was obviously a big hit.

When we finally made it to Father's office, I shakily opened the door and prayed that Father wouldn't get angry with me for interrupting.

"Raven," he greeted icily, taking a sip of his drink. It was obviously not Mother's new party punch, "Lucius and I were just talking about you."

Draco and I froze in the doorway and Mr. Malfoy turned to face us as my father picked a package off of his desk.

"Your owl delivered this today," he explained, holding it up, "From a Miss Hermione Granger."

I swallowed thickly.

I was glad he didn't find the small set of self-shuffling cards I'd planned on sending her, which currently resided under my bed.

"I becoming concerned about the company you keep," he continued, approaching until he stood directly before me, "According to Lucius, this girl is not only a Gryffindor but a mudblood as well!"

My face burned at being reprimanded in front of Draco and his father. However, almost covering my embarrassment was the fear that he'd abuse me in front of them too.

But for an instant, I couldn't think of anything as he struck me across the face hard enough to leave a bruise and knock me to the ground. I tried to ignore Draco's gasp as Father kicked me in the stomach.

"Get out, Draco," I barely registered Mr. Malfoy hiss before Draco fled the room.

"Stop," I pleaded, crying as my father repeatedly kicked my stomach. But he didn't. He continued his assault for several more, painful kicks.

"Come now, Orion," Mr. Malfoy cut in finally, placing a hand on Father's arm and moving to pull him away, "It's not her fault the mudblood sent her something for Christmas. I've heard from Draco that Granger is friends with Potter and Weasley. I highly doubt Raven would associate herself with people such as that. Raven, are you friends with Granger?"

"No. I've only spoken to her a few times."

It wasn't even a lie. I considered her an acquaintance, and we had indeed only spoken a few times.

Father looked down at me as I spit blood onto his floor, both of us unwilling to apologize.

"Don't talk to her again," he told me coldly, "And if she sends anything else to this house, I won't be so forgiving."

Then he left, leaving just Lucius and I in the room.

Sighing, he knelt down and pressed the tip of his wand gently to my ribs. Though he'd hardly added any pressure, sharp pains shot through my abdomen. Several of my ribs were surely broken. I whimpered as the tears continued to run down my face.

" _Brackium Emendo_ ," he muttered quickly before I felt my ribs snap back together.

I cried out at the initial pain, which felt even more intense than when my father had broken the bones. But then I felt my body relax when I realized I could both move and breathe easier. I rolled onto my back and wiped my eyes.

"Thanks, Daddy," I croaked weakly.

"It's in your best interest to stay away from her," he explained, gently running his hand over my stomach where the skin was surely still bruising. His touch was soothing both to my sore body and my shaking emotions, "People like her are not friends with people like us. If you girls get too close, you're going to have to make some very hard choices."

"Does this have anything to do with the prophecy?" I whimpered.

His hand stilled on my stomach.

"What do you know about that?" he growled.

"Nothing. The Sorting Hat only mentioned it when he was deciding what House to put me in."

"Why would he have done that? Was there a question about which House you would be in?"

"He gave me a choice between Gryffindor and Slytherin," I whispered so soft I was almost silence. I trusted Lucius, but the last thing I wanted was for anyone else to overhear.

Lucius ran a hand down his face and sighed, but he said nothing.

"We should return to the party," I continued.

"Are you sure? I could take you up to bed."

"No, I've been looking forward to this all year. I love the Christmas party."

* * *

Hours later, after most of the guests had filtered out, Draco and I sat in front of the huge fire in the drawing room playing wizard's chess. The bruises on my face and abdomen had long since been forgotten by me in all the excitement of the party, but everyone else still noticed them. I knew that Draco could hardly keep his pitying eyes off of them.

Once Mother found out what happened, she had given me cup after cup of her punch. She wanted me to be happy, at least on Christmas Eve. My cheeks were now red with the potion, as were Draco's since his mother let him have a few glasses as well. And even though we couldn't quite think straight, we played on.

As we slurred our commands to our chess pieces, Lucius approached us.

"Draco, we're going home," he informed.

"Yes, Father," he slurred, pulling himself to his feet with some difficulty.

"How are you feeling, Raven?" Lucius asked, turning to me.

"Fantastic, Daddy," I muttered drunkenly back, "Thanks for the chess set, by the way."

Mr. Malfoy nodded as I struggled to get to my feet as well.

I stepped forward and gave Draco a hug as he slid his jacket on. Then I exchanged hugs with his parents before they Apparated back to their own property.

Once they were gone, I scurried back up to my room and pulled the gift I'd gotten for Hermione out from under my bed. With the self-shuffling cards, I sent her a letter wishing her a Merry Christmas and asking her not to send anything else to Ashe manor ever again. Without explaining the situation, I told her I was grateful for the thought and the gift, but it was for the best if she didn't try to contact me while I was not at school.

After sending Fatigo away with the note and the package, I ripped open the package I'd taken from my father's desk from her. Predictably, it was a set of books, though they were widely focused on areas I was interested in including transfiguration and divination, even though divination was a more advanced course. I wondered how she knew I would like those, and I regretted not getting her something a little more personal.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine**

Once the two weeks had passed and Draco and I were back in school, the homework seemed to get more intense all at once. I was on my way to do research for a potions paper in the library when I ran into Longbottom, who was quick to accusatorily inform me that Draco had hit him with a leg-locker curse.

I sighed.

The break from being friends with the school's bully was not nearly long enough. I was more than elated to have him as my best friend, but I really wished that he could at least focus on other things besides picking on others. Rolling my eyes, I undid the curse and continued to the library.

And as I suspected, it wasn't long before Draco had found me hunched over a book on dittany and other magical plants used in potions.

"Come on, Raven," Draco whined, sitting down next to me, "All you do is study!"

"That's not true."

"Yeah? You're coming to the Quidditch match tomorrow at least, right?"

"Sure," I answered absently, looking up from the book to the shelf before me, deciding which other books to use in my essay.

Getting the idea that any further attempts to talk to me would be pointless, Draco huffed and turned to go. I didn't stop him. Instead, I continued taking notes and adding quotes to my paper.

The next thing I knew, the library was next to empty, and the once-bright windows had faded into black. For a moment, I thought I was completely alone with everyone else at dinner, but then Hermione trudged in. She didn't seem to see me right away, and instead went in search of a book. By the time she'd found it, I'd already crossed the room to her.

"Hello," I greeted, "What are you doing?"

"Looking for something," she muttered, flipping through the pages of the large book, deep in concentration.

"What are you looking for?"

She paused and looked at me curiously.

"How do I know I can trust you? You're a Slytherin."

She didn't say it rudely, but the words still stung. Anger shot through me, and I untucked my blouse, pulling it up so that she got a good view of my stomach, which was painted with purple and yellow bruising so thick that there was hardly any normal colored skin left.

"You owe me," I hissed.

Her eyes widened as her jaw dropped slightly.

"How-?"

"Thanks for the Christmas present. My father was thrilled to see I'd been making friends with Gryffindors who have non-magical parents."

"I-I'm sorry. I didn't know what your family was like."

"I know," I replied, pushing my shirt back down, "And that's how you can trust me. If I were anything like the other Slytherins, I would have broken your nose by now. What makes you think you can't trust me?"

"The nature of the information," she replied, straightening and recovering from her shock, "This will have more serious consequences if it isn't kept secret. However, I _do_ trust you, and I think you could be useful if you want in?"

"Yeah, I want in," I answered without hesitation, though I had no clue what I was committing to.

"Promise you won't tell anyone, especially Draco."

I hesitated. I always tried to keep my word, but I wasn't sure about keeping secrets from Draco. Without realizing it, I'd already encountered one of the difficult situations Mr. Malfoy had warned me about. But, not unlike the troll, my youthful curiousity got the better of me.

"I promise."

The information shared with me was about a wizard named Nicholas Flamel and the philosopher's stone. Hermione explained that Snape was after it, and that we needed to get it first in order to protect it.

She, Harry, and Weasley had already discussed it, but I told her that the other two might not appreciate my assistance as much. She told me Harry would probably not have much of a problem with it, but she would explain to both why it was necessary.

They needed me because, not only did Snape favor Slytherins, but he was good friends with both the Malfoys and the Ashes. In fact, if he hadn't been busy at Hogwarts, he would have shown up at the annual Christmas party. If we ran into trouble with him, I could defend the others knowing he wouldn't harm me.

I was also known throughout the school as a talented witch, who was very brave. Therefore, I could most likely assist them with any challenges they may have come across.

Hermione assured me that it would be easy enough to persuade the others that I would be useful.

It was just up to me not to betray her trust.

* * *

The next day was the big Quidditch match between Gryffindor and Hufflepuff.

Draco and I weren't sure who to bet on, we hated both Houses. We obviously wanted Gryffindor to lose, but we also secretly agreed that they could easily beat Hufflepuff.

We really only went for the sport…and because Snape was the referee. We snuck into the bleachers behind Hermione and Weasley. As Draco, Crabbe, Goyle, and I settled down on the cold, wooden benches, Draco reached up to poke the back of Weasley's head. Weasley, who had been in midsentence, turned around to glare at us.

"Oh, sorry," Draco chuckled, "Didn't see you there."

Weasley turned back to the game as Hermione continued crossing her fingers in her lap for Harry's safety.

"Wonder how long Potter's going to stay on his broom this time? Anyone want to bet? What about you, Weasley?" Draco asked, referencing the game in which Harry had fallen off his broom but had caught the snitch in his mouth. I hadn't been there to see it, but I heard all about it naturally. Word travels fast around Hogwarts.

"You know how I think they chose people for the Gryffindor team?" Draco continued, "It is the people they feel sorry for. See, there's Potter, who's got no parents. Then there's the Weasleys, who've got no money. You should be on the team, Longbottom, you've got no brains."

"I'm worth twelve of you, Malfoy," Longbottom returned weakly, turning from his place besides Hermione, who still seemed only barely aware of our presence, if at all.

"Longbottom, if brains were gold you'd be poorer than Weasley, and that's saying something."

"Cut it out, Draco. Just watch the game," I tried, elbowing him.

He really knew how to insult everybody with just a few words. I supposed, to him, it was an art that he had perfected through practice. But Weasley was already turning around, threatening him.

"I'm warning you, Malfoy, one more word," Weasley began cautioning, but Hermione interrupted him by drawing his attention to the Quidditch pitch where Harry had dived almost vertically towards the ground in pursuit of the snitch.

"You're in luck, Weasley! Potter's obviously spotted some money on the ground," Draco exclaimed with mock excitement.

Before I could stop myself, I snorted. Sometimes, unfortunately, his remarks were more than clever; they were hilarious. However, Weasley clearly didn't think so as he dove at Draco. I wasted no time shoving Weasley away.

I wasn't the only one either. Crabbe and Goyle had jumped in with prepared fists. Suddenly and unpredictably, Longbottom got involved as well. We all fought until we were nothing more than a writhing mass that lay on the cold, wet ground behind Hermione, who was still intent on watching the game.

"Ron! Ron! Where are you?" she shrieked suddenly, "Harry's won! We've won! Gryffindor is in the lead!"

Just as Goyle was preparing to throw a punch at him, Longbottom scurried away to watch the Gryffindor Quidditch team lower themselves to the ground with victorious whoops and hollers. In the absence of Longbottom, Goyle's fist collided with my eye and cheekbone. I fell to the ground with a small yelp. That patch of skin had only barely healed from the bruise given to me by my father over break, but I could tell there'd be another to replace it within minutes.

Although, Goyle's punch paled in comparison to the slap of a forty-two-year-old death eater.

"Oh m-my god," he fumbled for words, "I-I'm so sorry, R-raven."

"It's alright," I mumbled, standing up, but Draco had witnessed the entire thing.

"What the bloody hell was that, Goyle?" he asked angrily.

"It was an accident," I explained as Goyle was too scared to.

"Accident or not, the next time he does it, I'll give him a black eye to match."

* * *

Later that night, Draco and I sat alone by the big fire in our common room. We sat on the floor right in front it, surrounded by pillows and blankets, while Draco looked at my eye. As he gently ran his fingers over it, I noticed a tiny trace of bruised skin on his own eye. I didn't bring it up, though, because Weasley probably gave it to him.

"I'm sorry," Draco said at last.

"For what?" I asked.

"Not preventing it."

"You couldn't have."

"I didn't mean to go off on Goyle either. It's just," he sighed sadly, "every time I see or hear something about your father abusing you, I feel so helpless. I hate the fact that I can't save you. But today, I could have…I just didn't. I didn't act fast enough. Wasn't paying enough attention."

"You think that you can be everyone's savior," I whispered gently, "You're jealous of Potter because that's what he is. But I think you'll be happier when you admit to yourself that some things are just out of your control. You couldn't have saved me from Goyle, and you can't save me from my father."

For a few moments, we remained in silence as he continued inspecting my eye, pretending like he hadn't heard me. The only indication that he had was the wetness, followed by rapid blinking, of his eyes.

He hadn't ever truly spoken about my father, and I didn't want to shut away his feelings. But if he ever tried to go against my father, he would get hurt. Besides, if there was nothing to be done, I needed him to stop thinking that there was.

But as he looked at my bruise with tears filling up his eyes, he looked so vulnerable. He looked like the little boy I'd been friends with since I was born. For that moment, he didn't look like the bully. He didn't look like the Draco everyone knew him as at Hogwarts.

He looked like _my_ Draco.

The young boy who was always made to feel helpless and insignificant, but dreamt of being so much more.

I leaned forward and wrapped my arms around him.

"Thank you so much," I whispered, tears biting at the corners of my eyes.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter Ten**

"You're turning into that Granger girl!" Draco complained as I made my way to the library over Easter break.

"I'm obviously not," I retorted, "We just all have a lot of homework over break with final exams coming up."

"They aren't coming up! They're ages away. Ten weeks."

"You know, if we studied together, it would get done quicker and probably be more fun. Your grades aren't magnificent as it is, I've heard, so you could probably use the extra studying."

Draco glowered at me, but said nothing. What could he say? He was intelligent, but there was no denying that his grades were lacking because of the amount of effort – or lack thereof – that he was contributing.

When we finally made it to the library, Harry, Hermione, and Weasley were also there, studying. But just as Draco's face was lighting up, I steered him away. We sat down at the end of a separate aisle and began with our charms homework. We had learned four main spells, but only three of which could be practiced in the library. So along with our informational paperwork, we also practiced Lumos, Wingardium Leviosa, and Spongify.

It was Incendio that we were unable to practice because creating fires in the library was against the rules…or so I assumed, as it was never directly stated.

Draco and I had gotten a staggering amount of work done until we saw Hagrid walk by with a pile of books on dragons. Though I disliked Draco's habits of meddling with the affairs of those he disliked, there was something undeniably strange about Hagrid and his pile of books.

We exchanged glances before gathering our things. Between my curiosity and Draco's aspiration to get all involved with Weasley and Potter in trouble, there was no doubt we'd be following the gamekeeper.

* * *

"Shut up, Raven," Draco whispered as my stomach growled.

"I can't help it," I murmured back, "I'm starving. What's going on in there? What do you see?"

I was on my hands and knees in the grass while Draco stood on my back to see through the tiny window of the hut. It didn't take long before my back was aching, but any complaints were shushed or ignored.

"I don't know yet. There's some sort of rock?"

"Switch places with me," I hissed, "I want to see."

With a huff of irritation, Draco climbed down from my back. He knelt in the same spot of grass that I had taken, and I gingerly moved to stand atop his back.

"Oh my god," I whispered, peering through the foggy glass, "It's a dragon's egg."

So, every night after, we snuck out to watch Hagrid's hut. Again, while Draco was itching to get the gamekeeper in trouble, I wanted nothing more than to see a baby dragon being born. I'd only seen pictures and heard stories about how magnificent they were, even when they were minutes old.

One night, coincidentally when the trio was visiting, the egg hatched. Draco and I had piled logs against the side of the hut so we could both watch the dragon take its first breath. And also so we didn't have to stand on each other, which had become extremely uncomfortable after the second night.

Well, after the first few minutes actually, but the pain just kept getting worse.

"It's a Norwegian Ridgeback," I whispered as the beautiful creature stepped shakily onto the kitchen table that seemed miles away.

Suddenly, as Draco was trying to shift his weight to see the dragon more clearly, a log slipped out from under his foot. He fell to the ground with a loud crash, and from inside, the gamekeeper turned his gaze towards us.

Cursing, I jumped off the logs, but I was certain he'd seen me.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter Eleven**

"Well, we have to tell Dumbledore, haven't we?" Draco asked with a smirk.

"No. What would you tell him anyway?" I responded, then I dropped my voice a couple octaves and did my best Draco impression, "'Dumbledore, I was out way past curfew, and I was spying on the gamekeeper, whom I've been watching for weeks because I knew he had a dragon egg. Well, last night the egg hatched so now he has a pet dragon.'"

"Well," Draco paused and glanced at his feet, "We could always tell Snape. He won't rat us out."

"What will he say to Dumbledore then? How will he explain how he knows?"

"Oh, that's the easy part. It's all on him. We wouldn't have to do anything."

"Please, Draco," I pleaded. I had tried using logic and common sense against him, but it hadn't worked. I needed to move onto a new tactic, "Pleeeease! Think of what they'll do to that poor, defenseless dragon…the animal in which you were named after!"

Draco sat silently, smirking in amusement at my dramatic display.

"Fine," I growled, dropping the emotional pretense, "Why don't you let Hagrid raise it then? I bet Harry will have to get rid of it at some point. It'll get too big, and he won't have any way to hide it. Then we can follow him at night because that will be the only safe time to transport a dragon. We can get him in trouble for being out of bed without putting the dragon in harm's way."

He glowered at me. The only thing that bothered him was that Hagrid wouldn't get into any trouble. I knew that, but he knew that if the dragon were to truly be saved, it was the only way.

"Fine," he huffed.

* * *

It was about a month later, in the Great Hall, when Weasley's owl flew to his table and crashed into the food. As he righted himself and flew off once again, Weasley grabbed the letter from his beak and ripped it open.

I nudged Draco to get his attention.

Weasley showed the letter silently to Harry before shoving it in his potions book.

"Seems a little suspicious," I whispered to Draco.

"It does. Doesn't it? We'll need to see what that letter says."

So the next day, by a happy coincidence, Weasley had been sent to the hospital wing after getting bitten by the dragon. While I was studying in the library, Draco had gone to visit him. I didn't know whether or not Weasley had been awake while Draco was there, but when he found me later that night, he was smiling and brandishing the parchment.

"It's from Weasley's brother!" he explained as we curled up in front of the fire in our common room, "It was still in the book. He's going to send people from Romania to come and pick up the dragon this Saturday at midnight."

"That's brilliant, Draco! I said they'd do it at night."

While I didn't necessarily want to get the trio in trouble, there was something fun about scheming with Draco. It took me back to our childhood when we would create plots or plan pranks to pull on the house elves.

* * *

So that Saturday at midnight, Draco and I found ourselves at the top of the tallest tower, waiting for Harry and Weasley to bring up the dragon. Since it was just the very beginning of spring, the night air was still cold and chilled us both. We huddled in the corner underneath a blanket, trying to find warmth in each other's body heat. Suddenly, we saw a light coming around the corner.

Both of us sat up, eager. For me, it was to be getting back to my warm, comfy bed. And for Draco it was to get Harry and Weasley in trouble. However, it wasn't Harry that rounded the corner.

It was Professor McGonagall.

Her eyes fell on us almost immediately as her jaw dropped and her hand went straight to her heart.

"Malfoy!" she exclaimed in shock, "Ashe! What are you doing here?"

We were too scared to manage an answer, but our silence only resulted in fury as McGonagall stormed over to us. Grabbing each of our ears, she yanked us up to stand. The pain seemed to bring us out of fright, and both of us began arguing a moment later.

"My father'll hear about this!" exclaimed Draco as she began pulling us down the spiral staircase.

"We were only-ouch-here because Harry-ouch," I tried to explain.

"Detention! For both of you!" McGonagall yelled, "And twenty points from Slytherin! Wandering around the school in the middle of the night, how _dare_ you?"

"You don't understand, Professor," Draco continued where I had left off, "Harry Potter is coming, and he's got a dragon."

"What utter rubbish? How dare you tell such lies! Shame on both of you! Come on, I shall see Professor Snape about you two."

* * *

"Wandering about the school in the middle of the night?" Snape drawled, sitting at his desk.

I wondered briefly if Snape ever slept. He looked as though he'd never gone to sleep that night, despite the fact that it was just a little after midnight. Harry and Weasley had completed their mission without anything going wrong.

"Yes," McGonagall retorted, her tone clipped and still angry.

"Thank you, Minerva. You may leave. I'll take it from here."

This seemed to satisfy her, and she nodded once before turning to leave the room.

"Why were you out of bed?" Snape asked once the door had closed behind her.

"HarryPotterhasadragon!" Draco wasted no time explaining. He spoke so fast that some of his words stumbled over one another, "It was Hagrid's, and he was bringing it to the tower, where we got caught, and he was going to give it to Weasley's brother's friends from Romania, and they were going to take it back to him, and we were out of bed because we were trying to catch him in the act and get him in trouble because he gets away with everything and we get in trouble for everything even though we do the same things, and it's just not fair, Professor, it's not fair!"

Snape was silent for a long moment, looking back and forth between us leisurely.

"Go to bed," he said finally, "You lost your House twenty points already, so I'll not punish you anymore. Just...don't do it again. It's true that Potter is so infuriatingly privileged. But it isn't up to you two to get him in trouble.

"The day will come when he won't be so entitled."


	12. Chapter 12

**Hello everyone! I hope the school year is going well for those of you still in school. This chapter is a little bit longer than the rest, so consider it a bonus!**

 **I am currently just beginning my freshman year of college, so I'm going to get pretty busy here in a couple of weeks. I will definitely try to keep posting regularly, but I apologize in advance if I'm not about to keep up the daily update thing that I've been doing. However, I CAN promise you that there will be no multiple-month-long hiatus this time. The series has been completed on my end, and it's here to stay!**

 **So, without any further ado, here is the next chapter!**

 **Chapter Twelve**

A couple nights later, Draco, Longbottom, Hermione, Harry, and I were being led out to Hagrid's hut by Filch. Most of us walked quietly except for the caretaker, who lectured us on old fashioned punishments, and Longbottom, who kept sniffling.

Draco and I discovered that, while McGonagall had been furious with us, she did speak with Harry and Hermione as well. Convinced that they, at the very least, had concocted the dragon story to get us in trouble, she had taken away their House points too and given them a detention. This offered Draco some consolation. Quite a bit of it, actually.

Neither of us were quite sure how Longbottom got dragged into the detention, or how Weasley got out of it.

"Is that you, Filch?" called Hagrid from a small distance away, "Hurry up, I want ter get started."

"I suppose you think you'll be enjoying yourself with that oaf?" Filch commented to us, "Well, think again. It's into the forest where you're going and I'm much mistaken if you all come out in one piece."

Draco and I froze, and Longbottom let out a long whine.

"The forest?" Draco clarified, both of us continuing to walk again.

"Students aren't allowed," I added, "We definitely can't go at night."

"There's all sorts of things…werewolves, I've heard."

"That's your problem, isn't it?" Filch sneered, "Should have thought of them werewolves before you got in trouble, shouldn't you?"

We were scared and horrified, but we had no choice except to continue walking until we got to Hagrid.

"Abou' time. I bin waitin' fer half an hour already. All right, Harry, Hermione?"

"I shouldn't be too friendly to them, Hagrid. They're here to be punished, after all," Filch spat.

As the two went back and forth, I rolled my eyes. They were bickering like schoolchildren…nearly worse than Draco and Weasley. Draco and I stood close together for warmth and comfort. We were completely out of place in a group of Gryffindors. I'd heard that even Hagrid had been in Gryffindor when he was enrolled at Hogwarts.

"I'll be back at dawn," the caretaker commented, "for what's left of them."

After he left, Draco turned quickly to Hagrid, "I'm not going in that forest."

"Yeh are if you want ter stay at Hogwarts. Yeh've done wrong an' now we've got ter pay for it."

"More wrong than hatching a dragon egg on the grounds?" I blurted out.

Hagrid's eyes narrowed.

"Yeh both know 'bout that, do yeh? Well, no harm would've come of it if yeh hadn't tried ter get Harry in trouble."

"You shouldn't have had that egg," I retorted, "You're lucky we didn't tell what we knew sooner. We wanted to protect that creature from getting hurt."

A few out of the group cast wary glances towards us. Regardless, Hagrid's eyes softened a bit.

"Maybe you, Ashe, but do yeh really expect me ter believe Malfoy cared about that dragon?"

I remained silent, but he cleared his throat and continued. Not even Draco spoke up in his own favor.

"Now, what we're doin' tonight is-."

"This is servant stuff!" Draco exclaimed dramatically, "It's not for students to do. I thought we'd be copying lines or something. If my father knew I was doing this, he'd-."

"-tell yeh that's how it is at Hogwarts. Copyin' lines! What good's that ter anyone? Yeh'll do summat useful or yeh'll get out. If yeh think yer father'd rather you were expelled, then get back off ter the castle an' pack. Go on!"

Draco stood where he was and hung his head.

"Right then," Hagrid moved on, "now listen carefully, 'cause it's dangerous what we're gonna do tonight, an' I don' want no one takin' risks. Follow me over here a moment."

We followed after him to the edge of the forest where he pointed out a shiny liquid that he told us was unicorn blood. He explained that something had been feeding off of it, and that we needed to find the unicorn either to help it or put it out of its misery.

"And what if whatever hurt the unicorn finds us first?" Draco asked.

"Nothing that lives in the forest'll hurt yeh if yer with me or Fang," Hagrid answered, "An' keep ter the path. Right now, we're gonna split inter two parties an' follow the trail in different directions. There's blood all over the place, it must've been staggering around since last night at least."

Upon hearing that we were separating, Draco and I stepped closer together in case Hagrid was thinking of breaking us apart.

"We want Fang," Draco requested, as if to solidify our partnership further. We were both relieved when Hagrid didn't challenge us.

"Alright, but I warn yeh, he's a coward. So me, Harry, an' Hermione'll go one way an' Draco, Raven, and Neville will take Fang an' go t'other."

As we walked along the path, I lit my wand and used it as a torch. Draco was holding a lantern, which offered even more light. Longbottom trailed after us, whimpering and sniveling.

"I don't get this," I spoke softly, "It makes no sense. Why are they punishing us for breaking the rules by having us break more rules? It's stupid! We got in trouble for wandering around after curfew, so what are they making us do? Wander around after curfew."

"Exactly," Draco whispered back as Fang passed us. Longbottom pushed past a moment later, afraid to be too far away from the dog.

"Wanna have a little fun?" asked Draco quietly.

"No," I replied, but Draco pretended not to hear me.

Very silently, he snuck up behind Longbottom. It all happened too quickly for me to stop it. Draco grabbed Longbottom from behind, causing the Gryffindor to let out a breathy scream and shoot up red sparks from his wand, which was what Hagrid had told us to do if we were in trouble.

"Well done!" I scolded Draco, who was laughing so hard that he was hunched over, holding his stomach.

But suddenly, Hagrid was there, asking what happened.

"Malfoy snuck up behind me and scared me," Neville tattled, "I panicked and shot up sparks. I'm sorry!"

Hagrid huffed and told us to follow him.

"We'll be lucky ter catch anythin' now, with the racket you two were makin'," Hagrid grumbled as we returned to Harry and Hermione, "Right, we're changing groups- Neville, you stay with me an' Hermione. Harry, you go with Fang, Raven, and this idiot."

Then we were off again, only with Harry this time. We walked around aimlessly for a long time before we came across anything. The only warmth I could find was sharing body heat with Draco.

I was starving, and I had a pounding headache from being awake for so long. On top of all that, my feet and legs hurt from the constant trudging over roots and up slopes. I wouldn't complain aloud, though, even if I knew that Draco at least felt the same way. Finally, Harry stopped us and pointed to something big and white on the ground. I moved the glowing tip of my wand over it so we could see it better.

Even though I'd never seen this creature in person before, it was obviously a unicorn.

However, the thing that caught my attention was a black-cloaked figure that glided across the ground towards the unicorn. The four of us stood, frozen until the creature began drinking the unicorn's blood. Then Draco let out an ear-splitting scream and ran away with Fang at his heels.

However, my curiousity and pity towards the unicorn kept me rooted to the spot. I raised my wand. I didn't know very many spells, but I knew enough to keep Harry and I safe until Hagrid could come.

Suddenly, the figure looked up directly at Harry, who immediately raised his fingers to his forehead with a pained yell. I felt something stir within me as well. Something foreign. A feeling I'd never felt before.

Harry staggered backwards as I prepared to cast Incendio. I stepped protectively in front of him, and right before the word was about to roll of my tongue, I heard hooves from behind me. A centaur burst out into the little clearing between me and the figure. Harry and I watched in awe as the creatures fought for quite a while, or at least it felt like it. But eventually, the dark-cloaked thing retreated into the forest.

When I was confident there was no more present danger, I took off in the same direction as Draco had in order to get the others. All of the other pain was lifted as I tore through the trees. I could just barely see as I tripped over a root.

I was pitched face-first into the dirt. As I struggled to get to my feet, I noticed black, tattered fabric just inches from my face. I looked up at the figure that had been feeding off the unicorn and tried to scream, but fear had paralyzed my vocal chords. Time seemed to freeze for a moment. Slowly, it reached down for my face.

I wanted to move away, but I couldn't. Just as time had seemed to freeze, I was frozen with it. It wasn't magic that kept me rooted in place. Perhaps it was fear. But then the thing ran its fingers – dead but alive at the same time – over my cheek, like a caress. It was surprisingly tender.

Then the sound of footsteps came from nearby. As the thing registered the noise, his fingers slowly retracted, and then he turned and swooped out of sight, like a giant, black bird.

As the footsteps got to me, I scrambled to my feet and pointed my wand at the new presence, worried that it was something equally frightening.

"Shh, Raven," Draco said quickly, "It's just me."

I stared back at him for a few seconds, as if to insure it was indeed Draco and not some other strange creature that had taken his form. When I decided that it was him, I lowered my wand but kept it in my hand.

"A centaur came to protect Harry," I informed, saying nothing about the sickening stroke of my cheek, "We need to find the others."

He nodded and turned, and I ran along with him. I assumed he knew where he was going, but as we kept running, I felt less and less confident.

We ran for what seemed like forever until I peered the light from Hagrid's lantern cutting through the trees. As if we were of one mind, Draco and raced towards it, Fang miraculously still racing behind us.

When we reached the others, we struggled to get the story out because we were both so out of breath and insisted on talking over each other. When we finally managed to get the message across, Harry was only a few yards away, riding towards us on the back of a centaur.

"Harry!" Hermione exclaimed, running towards him, "Harry, are you alright?"

Everything Draco and I had said was lost in the excitement at discovering Harry was still alive and unharmed.

"I'm fine," responded Harry, looking over at me cautiously before turning back to Hermione, "The unicorn is dead, Hagrid, it's in that clearing back there."

As the centaur galloped away and Hagrid left for the unicorn. Hermione and Neville followed after him, and not wanting to be left out, Draco trotted afterwards, leaving Harry and I alone in the forest.

When the others were gone, he turned back towards me was a curious expression on his face.

"I suppose Hermione was right. We can trust you," he said, though I wasn't sure he meant it, "Why did you stay and protect me back there, Ashe?"

I blushed and looked away, shrugging, as if I had done something wrong.

In the right company – meaning my father, or even Draco – it would have been a bad thing. But my only thought was Harry's safety in the moment. It just didn't feel right to run away.

"Well, you might have gotten hurt if I didn't."

"Is that it?" Harry asked, his eyes softening, "You weren't doing it to try and gain my trust just so that you could break it later?"

"What?" I asked, my eyes snapping back up to meet his, "Of course not!"

Then it was Harry's turn to look down, embarrassed.

"I'm sorry. I don't mean to offend you. It's just…we have to be sure."

My face relaxed, and I exhaled softly.

"You can trust me, Harry. I'm with you."


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter Thirteen**

I walked into the Slytherin common room on the last day of exams and crashed down on the couch.

No fire was going today because it was too hot outside.

I shrugged out of my robes, leaving me in my blouse and skirt, but I still wasn't cool enough. I got up and climbed the stairs to my dorm. All the studying and stressing over finals left me exhausted, but I forced myself up the stairs nonetheless.

"Hi," greeted Pansy Parkinson, who was lying on her bed next to mine.

"Hey," I responded as I changed out of my uniform and into one of my tight, black skirts and a tank-top, "How do you think you did on your exams?"

"Failed probably," she chuckled, "How about you?"

"Same," I laughed weakly even though I was confident I'd done well, "I have to go. If I come back late, I'll try not to wake you up."

"Mmkay," she replied, too tired to ask questions.

I knew Pansy wouldn't care if I broke the rules. She probably thought I'd somehow been invited to a party with some upper classmen. If she knew what I was truly up to, she'd turn me in without a doubt.

I took my wand out of my robes and slid it into the waistband of my skirt. I didn't look like a first-year, walking around like that. I was wearing all black from my heeled boots and my black tights to my mid-thigh length, leather skirt and tank-top. The only two things that weren't black was my wand, which stuck out of my skirt to the side, and my hair, which swirled down across my shoulders. In addition, I had long, slender legs for my age, and I was told I could sometimes walk with a confident sort of attitude.

Or high-and-mighty, as my father liked to say.

It was dark in the empty corridors as I made my way towards the Gryffindor common room. Assuming all the students were too tired to be roaming the halls at this hour right after finals week, security was not as present, but I still needed to be cautious because Filch and his cat didn't take any nights off from prowling.

Following Hermione's instructions, I sat down next to the portrait to wait for them. She told me it might take some time to convince Harry to let her and Weasley come along, let alone me. So, I waited patiently until the portrait swung open. Before I could even look around for them, I hand shot out from nowhere and yanked me under the invisibility cloak.

"Wow, this thing is huge," I whispered as we moved quickly down the corridors.

"Not big enough to cover four people completely," Harry replied, "Our feet are showing, so we still need to be careful."

I nodded.

At the beginning of this year, the school was no more maneuverable than a labyrinth. Now, I knew it like my own house, which ironically was a maze of its own. We were nearly to the third door corridor before we heard nasally laughter and saw Peeves the poltergeist loosening the carpet on the stairs.

He stopped suddenly and looked in our direction. It was too dark to really see our feet, but it was obvious that the Poltergeist could sense our presence.

"Who's there?" he asked, looking directly at us, "I know you're there even if I can't see you. Are you ghoulie or ghostie or wee student beastie?"

We were all frozen. None of us knew how to get past him until Harry opened his mouth.

"Peeves," he whispered in a deep voice, a perfect impression of the Slytherin House ghost himself, "the Bloody Baron has his own reasons for being invisible."

The stunned look on the poltergeist's face was priceless as he almost plummeted to the ground.

"So sorry, your bloodiness, Mr. Baron, Sir. My mistake, my mistake. I didn't see you, of course I didn't. You're invisible. Forgive old Peevsie his little joke, Sir."

"I have business here, Peeves," Harry continued, "Stay away from this place tonight."

"I will, Sir, I most certainly will. Hope your business goes well, Baron, I'll not bother you."

With Peeves gone, we hurried up the steps to the third floor corridor.

"Well, there you are," muttered Harry upon seeing the already-opened door, "Snape's already gotten past Fluffy."

"Who the bloody hell is Fluffy?" I retorted.

Harry pointed to the three-headed, unconscious beast in the corner that I somehow hadn't noticed until then. I regarded it in horror, but I'd seen pictures of this before. In Greek mythology, Cerebus was the three-headed dog that guarded the gates to the underworld.

How symbolic.

"If you all want to go back, I won't blame you. You can take the cloak, I won't need it now," Harry said.

"Don't be stupid," Weasley told Harry.

"And don't make the mistake in thinking you're the only brave one here," I added, albeit harshly, "We could just as easily offer for you to go back. What makes this so personal to you?"

Harry and Weasley both opened their mouths to reply to me, but I was no longer listening to anything they had to say. I was looking at the dog. It must have fallen asleep with the enchanted harp in the corner, which was playing softly in the corner. But two seconds later, the harp stopped.

"Oh no," Harry hissed as he rustled around in his robes for something, "The flute Hagrid gave me! I forgot it!"

"Well done, Harry," I whispered while the dog began to stir, "Can it fall asleep with vocal music, Hermione?"

"I think? Can you sing well?"

"It's worth a shot," I shrugged, walking up to the dog and sitting on the ground in front of it.

Then I began singing one of my favorite lullabies. When I was younger, and my mother actually spent time with me, she used to sing me to sleep with this song every evening. I remembered it clearly even though I hadn't heard it for years.

The song was soft and velvety, with lots of neutral syllables; not many words. Immediately, Fluffy's eyelids began to droop again, and all three heads let out a mighty yawn. After only a few minutes, the animal relaxed on the ground in slumber. I continued my singing as I backed up to the trap door. The other three were arguing about who would be jumping first. I was only barely listening, but I'd obviously be going last anyway since I was the only source of music. Once the distant conversation died away, Harry jumped down. Next Weasley with Hermione following. Finally, I edged towards the trap door. My singing ceased, and I hesitated.

The dog looked so peaceful while he was sleeping. He looked like a harmless puppy, and I suddenly understood why Hagrid had wanted to keep this creature as a pet. He was quite beautiful as well. But with the absence of music, the dog slowly awoke. When he saw me, he growled and lunged, but I was already falling.

I tried not to scream, but it was terrifying not knowing when the ground was going to rise to meet me, and what that ground would feel like. However, the rough collision I was expecting never came. I instead landed on a soft material that almost felt like a bunch of vines.

"I guess you are a little useful," Weasley grumbled.

"Gee, thanks," I snarled in return. Suddenly, the vines tightened around my legs and arms, making it impossible for me to move. I let out a small shriek and struggled.

"No, don't!" Hermione tried, but I wasn't listening.

I couldn't move! If I could have only got to my wand! The more I struggled, the firmer the plant's hold on my got. I was panicking. This was going to be my death.

Then I glanced over at Hermione, who was already free.

"Hermione, help!" I called.

"Stop moving," she told us, "I know what this is. It's Devil's Snare!"

"Oh, I'm so glad we know what it's called," the ginger began sarcastically.

"Shut up, Weasley. She's right," I snapped, trying to force myself to calm down. It wasn't easy, and even once I'd stilled my body, I could still feel my heart pounding against my ribcage, "We learned about this in herbology."

"I'm trying to remember how to kill it!"

"Light a fire," I choked as the plant moved to my neck.

"But there's no wood!"

"What?!" I nearly screamed, "I swear, you better be joking!'

"Oh right. _Incendio_!" she cried, pulling out her wand. With the plant rapidly trying to get away from the light created by the fire, we were able to wrestle our way free and get over to Hermione.

Once I'd reached her, I began coughing, still feeling the vines as they tightened around my neck. There would be bruises there, but who would even notice with all the injuries I always seemed to have?

"Lucky you two were paying attention in herbology," Harry said.

"Yeah, lucky Ashe doesn't lose her head in a crisis. There's no wood? Honestly, Hermione," Weasley scoffed.

"Was that a compliment, Weasley?" I smirked, trying to taper my coughing.

The tips of Weasley's ears turned pink as he glowered at me.

"No," he spat, "Why would anyone compliment you?"


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter Fourteen**

"This way," Harry interrupted, leading us down another corridor. We hadn't made it very far before we heard the sound of fluttering and metal against metal.

"Can you hear something?" Weasley asked as I whipped out my wand.

We stepped into a large room. Though I assumed we were somewhere under the school, the room was still lit up with moonlight that seemed to come out of nowhere. Another enchanted ceiling perhaps. It was a pretty room with lots of rafters and columns, and there were two doors. There was the one we'd just emerged from, and another one across the room.

As the trio discussed what the sound could be, I looked upwards to see a group of flying keys. Before I could cast anything, the trio ran across the room to try to open the other door, which was predictably locked.

I sighed dramatically, and Weasley whirled around to face me.

"It was worth a shot!" he yelled.

"Yeah? And what's next? Accio key?"

"Shut up, Ashe. No one asked for your opinion anyway."

"Fine, then I'll go retrieve the stone myself, without telling you my opinion," I responded, walking over to the broom sticks on the other side of the room.

"But first… _Immobulus_!" I shouted as a blue light shot out of my wand, freezing the keys in midair.

Without the hundreds of keys fluttering around, it was much easier to spot the one we needed. However, before I could even touch the broom, Harry seized it and rode up to grab the key. Zooming back down, he handed it to Weasley, who ran to unlock the door with it. The whole process had taken about ten seconds.

The click of the lock turning echoed around the room as Harry landed and put back the broom. We hurried into the next room, beginning to worry that we'd be too late to rescue the stone.

The next room was initially pitch-dark, but as the four of us filtered into it, light suddenly flooded the area. There were torches that lit suddenly, lining the walls. The floor was covered in black and white tiles, and this room had two doors as well. The other was on the opposite side of the room, past a bunch of tall statues that looked like…like wizard's chess pieces.

"Now what do we do?" Harry asked.

"It's obvious isn't it?" Weasley answered, "We've got to play our way across the room."

"How?" Hermione replied.

"I think we're gonna have to be the chessmen."

Weasley walked over to the knight piece and climbed up on it.

"Do we-er-have to join you to get across?" he asked the porcelain horse, which nodded.

Though I should have assumed there was something magical about the giant game board, I was still taken aback when the statues, which looked very stationary, moved.

Weasley quietly looked at the board, deciding which pieces we should take the place of.

"Well, Harry, you can take the place of that bishop, and Hermione, you go next to him instead of that castle."

"What about me?" I asked.

"You can be a pawn."

"Dammit, Weasley," I nearly yelled, "We both know the pawns are the most dispensable pieces in the game!"

"Fine! You can be the queen, but get ready because I'll be using you a lot."

"Fine," I spat, moving to take the place of the queen.

"Now," he began, "white always goes first in chess."

As if on cue, the opposing team began to move one of their white pieces two spaces across the board. After that, the game passed in a blur. I was pleased that Weasley didn't make any moves that I wouldn't have myself, but I was still unsettled at him ordering me around. Once the board was outlined with black and white rubble, Weasley and I saw the only move that would give us our victory.

"Ashe, if you take that castle out of the way, I can sacrifice myself so that Harry can take the king."

"No!" yelled Harry and Hermione in unison.

"That's chess!" he shouted back, "You've got to make some sacrifices! I take one step forward once that castle is gone, and she'll take me. That leaves you free to check the king, Harry."

"But-," Harry began.

"Ashe, take the castle," Weasley told me before Harry could finish his thought. I slowly and hesitantly walked towards it. I didn't like Weasley at all, but I didn't want him to get seriously injured…or worse. Not that he would have had any trouble if our roles were reversed.

When I was in the right space, the castle slid over to the perimeter of the board and crumbled.

"Alright," Weasley sighed, "Ready? Here I go…now, don't hang around once you've won."

I felt butterflies in my stomach and my palms go sweaty, but I watched as he crossed the board to the queen. Then she drew her sword and stabbed Weasley's horse. With a scream, he fell to the ground in front of me. I gasped as he hit the floor, but it looked like he was only unconscious. I turned back around as Harry crossed the board to the king.

"Checkmate," he said confidently right before the chess piece took off his crown and threw it at Harry's feet.

The game had been won, which meant we were able to move around freely. Both Hermione and Harry ran over to Weasley and I.

"What if he's…?" Hermione began to ask.

"He'll be fine," assured Harry, "Take him back up to the hospital wing. Ashe and I will go on."

"Me?" I asked in surprise. If he was telling his friends to leave, I would have assumed he wouldn't want me to stick with him.

"Yes, you," he replied, "You've proven to me that I can trust you to have my back if anything goes wrong. But I also know that you'll do what needs to be done no matter what. You don't let any emotions get in the way."

I thought this was a funny thing to say, considering my actions were mostly controlled by emotions. How had I even gotten Harry to trust me? By letting my emotions get too much in the way. But I knew what he meant.

I wasn't as close to him as Hermione or Weasley were. If I needed to leave him, or do something that might result in him getting injured, I would if it was what was needed. Hermione and Weasley would never even dream of it.

"Aww, how sweet," I said mockingly, but my voice had lowered slightly with emotion. There was no telling him, but his words had actually touched me. I was secretly moved by the mere fact that he trusted me to both have his back and to help him succeed with his mission.

"Harry's right, Raven," Hermione jumped in, "You're very protective, but you're also very brave. You have a good heart, but a strong heart. It's actually quite a wonder you're not a Gryffindor."

I didn't tell them I would have been if I hadn't chose to be with Draco.

"Alright, Harry. Let's go."

"I'll see you soon…I hope," Harry told Hermione, but I was already halfway across the room.

"Be careful, you two!" Hermione called after us.

Then Harry and I were gone.


	15. Chapter 15

**Hello, everyone! So recently I had a review that suggested that I make the chapters longer. Going back and reposting this story that I essentially wrote three years ago, I understand that the chapters are a bit short and sometimes abrupt. For those of you who are thinking the same thing, I'd like to let you know that as the series continues, the chapters will grow longer and more detailed. While I'm editing each chapter before publishing it, it's really difficult to add more substance if it wasn't there to begin with. But just stick in there because the chapters will get longer!**

 **Also, I wanted to apologize for kind of taking the weekend off from updating. I've had a lot of stupid stuff happen this weekend emotionally, and I've been working through it.**

 **So, without further ado, here is the next chapter!**

 **Chapter Fifteen**

We silently padded along the dimly lit corridor as I nervously twisted my wand around my fingers. I had no idea what to expect when we reached our destination, or if there would be any more potentially deadly obstacles along the way.

Finally, we reached a large room. When we stepped inside, we were so intent on looking for Snape that we didn't even realize that a different man was standing in the center of the room, right before a large mirror.

This wasn't the man we had been expecting, but it was certainly a man we knew.

"You!" exclaimed Harry.

"Me," Professor Quirrell replied dryly, not even turning away from the mirror to look at us directly, "I wondered whether I would be meeting you here tonight, Potter. I didn't quite expect you at all, Ravenfire. Helping the Gryffindors."

"We thought Snape was behind it," I retorted, "He knows me, and the others would maybe be in less trouble if-."

"If they used you. Ah, I see. However, Severus was the one you thought behind this?" he laughed, "Yes, Severus does seem the type, doesn't he? So useful to have him swooping around like an over-grown bat. Next to him, who would suspect p-poor, st-stuttering Professor Quirrell?"

I suddenly raised my wand, glaring at him through the reflective glass that was frosty around the edges.

"What do you want?" I snarled.

Quirrell's eyes landed directly on me, and he cocked his head with an odd smile.

"Ashe, Ashe, Ashe," he chuckled, slowly turning around to face us, "Do you really think two eleven-year-olds could take on me?"

As if to illustrate, he snapped his fingers, conjuring ropes from thin air that wrapped themselves around Harry and I. As the ropes tightened around my wrist, my hand went slack and my wand fell to the floor with a hollow clattering sound.

"Now, wait quietly," he told us, pivoting back around to look at the mirror once more, "I need to examine this interesting mirror."

I had never seen it before, but judging by the look on his face, Harry had.

"This mirror is the key to finding the stone," the professor whispered to himself, "Trust Dumbledore to come up with something like this…but he's in London…I'll be far away before he gets back…" He stepped in front of the mirror and gazed into it more intensely, "I see the stone…I'm presenting it to my Master…but where is it?!"

I shot Harry a look, pleading with my eyes for him to remain silent. To not act. I was formulating a plan in my mind, but in order for it to work, we had to remain patient.

Unfortunately, he wasn't looking at me, so he didn't catch my look, and he spoke anyway.

"I heard you a few days ago, sobbing," Harry blurted out as I struggled against the rope.

I felt like I was a caterpillar.

"Sometimes," Quirrell responded to Harry, "I find it hard to follow my Master's instructions…he is a great wizard and I am weak."

"You mean he was in the classroom with you?"

"He is with me wherever I go," he began.

Without drawing his eyes away from the mirror, he told us the story of how he met his Master. He explained conversationally, as if he hadn't tied us up. As if he wasn't planning on killing us.

But it didn't matter. I wasn't listening. Now that Harry had screwed up my plan by drawing attention to us, I was coming up with a different one. It wasn't easy, and I could think of nothing. I only hoped that Harry knew what he was doing.

But then Quirrell uttered a name that quickly got my attention.

"Lord-," I started fearfully but stopped to correct myself, "The Dark Lord? He's your Master? And he's with you wherever you go? Does that mean he's here now?"

I didn't know what to feel or how to react. If the Dark Lord was back, it would make my life a lot more dangerous and complicated. But it might mean that my father would become happier and wouldn't get mad at Mother and me so much.

Maybe it was a good trade. But I needed to help Harry. That was the reason I was there, and the trio trusted me. I couldn't let them down now, especially to save myself from my father.

"I don't understand…." Quirrell continued, ignoring me, "Is the stone inside the mirror? Should I break it? What does this mirror do? How does it work? Help me, Master!"

Suddenly, a whisper seemed to come out of nowhere, so icy that it chilled me to the bone. It was a hushed voice that echoed briskly through the hall.

"Use the boy…use the boy," it hissed, making me shudder.

Then Quirrell turned around and faced us. With another finger snap, the ropes that bound Harry disappeared, but I was still stuck in the coil.

"Potter, come here," he ordered, "Look in the mirror and tell me what you see."

As Harry approached the mirror, I bent my legs as much as I could, trying to get close enough to my fallen wand. I strained the muscles in my fingers and arm, trying to reach it. I was so close, and no one was even paying attention to me. But only the tips of my fingers could barely brush against the wand.

I fought against growling in frustration. I really needed the wand!

But suddenly, it flew into my hand from the ground. There was a moment of shock, where I could do nothing except wonder how the stick ended up in my hand. I looked at it, confused, before slowly pointing it at the professor, as if it was going to disappear as suddenly as it had risen to meet me.

"Well?" Quirrell was snarling at Harry, "What do you see?"

"I see myself shaking hands with Dumbledore," he lied as I noticed a sudden extra weight in his pocket opposite Professor Quirrell, "I-I've won the House cup for Gryffindor."

While my confused squinting at his pocket was ignored by Harry and Quirrell, it didn't go unnoticed by everyone. The omniscient voice could see everything that happened in the room, and it rang out again.

"He lies," the disembodied voice whispered, "He lies!"

"Tell me the truth!" the professor shouted, "What did you see?!"

"Let me speak with him…and the girl," the mysterious hiss continued, "face to face."

"Master, you are not strong enough," Quirrell answered.

"I have strength enough for this."

As Quirrell began to unwind his turban, I couldn't wait any longer.

A deep sense of dread descended over me like a thick fog, and I needed to do something!

" _Flippendo_!" I yelled, causing a blue light to jet out of my wand and into the very man who'd taught me the spell.

He flew back a few yards but was back on his feet in an instant. He crossed the room and back-handed me, knocking me to the ground.

I growled loudly in frustration. My wand had fallen out of my hand once again, but this time it had clattered across the room. And now I was laying on the cold stones, unable to stand or fight back.

There was no escape, but I still glared back up at him, forcing a laugh.

"You think I haven't been hit before? You're pathetic," I taunted, "That was a love tap compared to what I normally receive."

But he wasn't taking my bait. Instead, he returned to the center of the room, right next to Harry. Certain that I was no longer a threat to him, he finished unwinding his turban, and when he took it off completely, both Harry and I to let out a gasp.

On the back of his bald head, there was another face…only it looked more like a snake than a human.

"Harry Potter," the thing snarled weakly, "See what I have become?"

As he continued, he words blurred together. I watched in disgust and shock as he approached Harry, having seemingly taken control of Quirrell's body.

"Why don't you give me that stone in your pocket? Don't be a fool. Better to save your own life and join me…or you'll meet the same end as your parents," the Dark Lord threatened.

"You're not strong enough," I choked as I pulled at the ropes.

"Oh, Raven," the Dark Lord said tenderly, glancing at me, "How touching. I always value bravery. Sticking up for one's friends. Trying to be the hero. You're already promised a special place among my followers," he replied before turning back to Harry, "Yes, boy, your parents were brave too. I killed your father first, but he put up a courageous fight. But your mother needn't have died…she was trying to protect you. Now give me the stone, unless you want her to have died in vain."

"Don't listen to him, Harry," I shouted, "He's not strong enough to hurt you. He's barely strong enough to talk to you. Listen to his wheezing! He's so weak."

"Give me the stone!" growled the Dark Lord.

"Never!" Harry yelled back, running for an escape and whipping out his wand.

" _Diffindo_!" he cast, severing the bindings that held me down. I scrambled up, but Quirrell was already wrestling Harry to the ground. I scrambled for my wand as anger and desperation shot through me.

It was a strange detachment that I felt from not only the situation but my body as well. It was as though the anger at the Dark Lord and the need to feel safe once again was consuming me. The emotions were overwhelming. I could feel myself shaking with them. They were strong. Making me into…something.

" _Crucio_!" I cried before I could stop myself.

Quirrell fell back, yelling and writhing in pain.

I had learned the incantation from Father, but Harry was still looking at me in well-deserved shock. I was shocked at myself.

But I was also defending us, so I didn't stop.

Then the professor's skin began to crumble into dust. I gasped in horror, not sure what was happening or if it was even my fault. It hurt to watch. It was revolting, but I forced myself to continue until the crumbling began to spread through his body up into his face, turning it into a craggy pile of ash. The rest of the body broke apart into rocky nothingness. The only thing that remained of Professor Quirrell was the echoes of his screams.

Once even those had died away, I lifted the curse, surprised to find how exhausted I was.

I looked over at Harry, who was still regarding me with the most horrified look I'd seen for a long time. But I only had time to barely register his face before the black figure of the Dark Lord materialized from the dust of Professor Quirrell's body. The entity let out a loud yell as it ran right through Harry, knocking him unconscious. Then it turned to me.

"You," he began, circling me, "You're lucky you're so important to me. I don't doubt Orion taught you that spell. Regrettably, he's doing nothing to bring me back. You might think his anger is rooted in my absence, but you're wrong. I know why he does the things he does. And his anger is not at his abandonment.

"Once I come back fully, with all of my strength, his time will be dwindling. But you, Ravenfire, watch your defiance towards me. There will be a day when you will regret the distain and anger you show me. There will be a day when you are on your knees, begging me for forgiveness. And of course, you shall have it."

"I will never be anything to you. I will never be yours!"

"Oh, Raven. You already are."

Then he flew threw my core as well, and as I fell to the ground, the world slipped away.


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter Sixteen**

"Raven?"

I heard the voice as my eyes fluttered open to whiteness and comfort. I was no longer with the spirit of the Dark Lord. No longer laying on the ground below the school. Instead, I was in a bed, in a room that smelled like antiseptic and dittany.

As my eyes adjusted to the sudden brightness, I could see Draco leaning over me.

"Are you awake?" he asked, coming so close that I could feel his breath on my face.

I let out a quiet sob of relief and sat up, wrapping my arms around him. I'd never been so happy to see anyone in my entire life. I was so excited to see Draco, in fact, that I hardly noticed the excruciating pain until I'd broken away from the hug.

Then I let out a groan and laid back down.

"Is it true?" he asked, "What Weasley was bragging about? What everyone's talking about? All that stuff about the stone?"

I sat back and nervously looked at him, biting my lower lip.

"I was going to tell you where I'd gone as soon as I'd gotten back," I explained quickly, "You would have tried to stop me. I had no idea how dangerous it would be. I thought Snape was behind it, but I was wrong. I'm so sorry. Please don't be mad."

"Don't be sorry," he comforted with a wide smile, "And I'm not mad. I think it's amazing. You totally showed the Gryffindors that they aren't the only House that's brave enough for stuff like that. I'm so proud of you."

I paused. That wasn't my intention. I wasn't trying to prove that Slytherins were just as brave as the Gryffindors, but at the same time, I was relieved that Draco wasn't mad at me. I had been so worried that he would see it as a betrayal.

"Thanks," I smiled.

"Madam Pomfrey said I could only visit with you for five minutes, but she also said that if you woke up, you had healed enough to leave if you're ready," Draco said excitedly.

I thought back to the pain when I'd sat up to hug Draco. If this was 'healed enough,' I wondered how bad I'd been when I came in.

"How long have I been out?"

"Nine and a half days, and the end of the year feast is tomorrow. Pansy told me to bring you back as soon as I could because your bed is covered with sweets. Everyone has been sending them to you. Pansy says it's too big of a struggle not to eat them in your absence."

I laughed and nodded.

"Yes, I'll get ready to go. Just give me a few moments to get dressed, will you?"

He nodded and got to his feet, heading for the door.

"Wait, Draco," I called after him. He paused by the door, his palm resting flat against the wood, and looked over his shoulder at me, "Just promise you won't tell my father? He won't understand. He'll be mad at me for helping the Gryffindors."

"I promise."

"Thank you," I sighed in relief, "Now, I'll be right after you. I'll meet you in the common room?"

"Sounds good. Your mother sent some pumpkin pasties for you, by the way. They're in your dorm. Don't be too long or Pansy might eat them."

I chuckled as he left, and once he was gone, I stood and stretched, trying to ignore the pain. It was mostly in my back and my core. I could still move, but each time I strained the muscles in my torso, an ache shot through me.

"Feeling better already?" a dull, crackly voice sounded from behind me.

I whirled around to face the door. Where Draco had just been, stood Dumbledore, who'd just entered.

"Still hurts a little, but I'm well enough. Thank you," I replied with a smile.

This might have been one of the first times Dumbledore and I had really talked, but he seemed rather harmless. And even though I'd broken several school rules, it had been towards a good cause.

I had a feeling that I wouldn't be getting in trouble…

Dumbledore said nothing. He just sat in silence, looking at me with a vague smile.

"Did you want something, Professor?" I asked, unsure of how to break the silence.

"Harry told me about what happened," he told me.

Perhaps I was wrong about not getting in trouble. Depending on what Harry had told Dumbledore, I might have broken more than a couple school rules. I might have broken the law.

"Did he?"

Dumbledore licked his lips and stepped closer, lowering his voice even though we were the only ones in the hospital wing.

"Everyone seems to admire what you did, Raven. Only Harry and I know about the crutiartus curse you cast."

I looked down and bit my lip, hoping that I misheard. Hoping that Harry hadn't really told Dumbledore about it. How could he? I'd saved him, and he betrayed me.

But I still couldn't erase his horrified face. It was burned into my memory.

"Is Harry afraid of me now?" I sighed, forcing myself to look back up into Dumbledore's gentle eyes.

"No, quite the opposite. He feels safer around you. But, Miss Ashe, using that curse is against the law. Surely you must have known that when you cast it."

I swallowed hard.

"I did," I admitted, "My father uses it on me all the time. I knew it would save us, but I didn't even think before I cast it. It just happened. What's going to happen to me now?"

A look of sadness set into Dumbledore's face, making him somehow look slightly older.

"I'm not going to report you to the Ministry," he replied gravely, "You must understand that it isn't a curse you can use on anyone ever again, but I'm not sure you should be treated like a criminal after protecting the Sorcerer's Stone. However, your father is another matter altogether."

"No!" I almost screamed, "No, please don't report him either! Please just leave him alone and forget I ever told you. It hasn't happened in a while. If things get worse, I'll tell you, okay? Then you can do something. When I ask. Please?"

The pleas came spilling out of my mouth so fast that Dumbledore put his hand on my shoulder to calm me down.

"Alright, Miss Ashe. I'll do as you ask, but if you are ever in need of help, you do not hesitate to come to me."

"Yes," I sighed heavily, "Of course. Thank you."

"As for the curse itself," he continued almost conversationally, "It takes quite a powerful witch to cast that spell within her first year of formal schooling. You show much potential, Miss Ashe.

"But keep in mind that with great power comes great responsibility. Be careful not to travel down a path that you might later regret…even if that path is what you believe is your destiny. Even if you are under a lot of pressure to do so. Do you understand?"

"No…no, I'm not sure I do."

"You will. In time."


	17. Chapter 17

**Hello, everyone! This is a shorter chapter, and though it may seem like the final one, there WILL be one more following it. After the next chapter is posted, be sure to keep an eye out for Ravenfire Ashe: Second Year. To ensure that you'll know when this is posted, I would recommend following me, but it's not necessary!**

 **I hope you enjoy this chapter, and happy reading!**

 **Chapter Seventeen**

It seemed that each House had their own view about why I did what I did.

Slytherins believed, as Draco told me, that I did it is as a statement against Gryffindor bravery. Gryffindors saw it as an alliance between me and their House. Ravenclaws saw it as a strategic move for me to go along because of all the defensive methods I could help evade due to my magical power and my Slytherin aspects that were absent in the Gryffindors. Hufflepuffs saw it as pure loyalty towards the school and my friends.

Anyway it was looked at, it left me with countless admirers from all Houses. And as I sat at the feast, I got a ton of looks directed at me – as did Harry, Hermione, and Weasley – but it was not something I necessarily enjoyed.

"Attention!" Dumbledore bellowed until the Great Hall fell into silence, "Another year gone! And I must trouble you with an old man's wheezing waffle before we sink into our delicious feast. What a year it has been! Hopefully, your heads are a little fuller than they were…you have a whole summer ahead to get them nice and empty before next year starts."

This was greeted with a few cheerful laughs.

"Now, as I understand it," Dumbledore continued, "the House Cup needs awarding, and points stand thus: In fourth place, Gryffindor with 312 points; in third, Hufflepuff with 352; Ravenclaw has 426; and Slytherin, 472."

With that, the entire Slytherin table burst into cheers, but I could tell Dumbledore wasn't finished.

"Yes, yes, well done, Slytherin. However, recent events must be taken into account," he explained as the room grew deafeningly quiet, "Ahem, I have a few last minute points to dish out. Let me see…to Gryffindor, first to Mr. Ronald Weasley for the best-played game of wizard's chess Hogwarts has seen in many years, I award Gryffindor fifty points. Second, to a Miss Hermione Granger for the use of cool logic in the face of danger, I award the Gryffindor House fifty points. Third, to a Mr. Harry Potter…"

Any sound left in the room came to a halt. I could barely hear anyone breathe as all eyes fell on Harry.

"…for pure nerve and outstanding courage, I award Gryffindor House sixty points."

Draco growled softly beside me, as did Pansy on my other side, as the Gryffindors began cheering. We were tied now.

"There are all kinds of courage," the headmaster continued still, "It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to one's enemy, but a great deal more to stand up to one's friends. I therefore award ten points to a Mr. Neville Longbottom."

The explosion of noise was tremendous. Almost everyone was cheering for Gryffindor (except Slytherins, of course), who had taken the lead. However, quite a few people looked over at me questioningly. Surely, if Dumbledore was to award points to them, he wouldn't leave me out.

Even a few people from the Gryffindor table looked at Dumbledore expectantly, knowing that I was next on his list.

"Now to Slytherin," Dumbledore said, causing the cheering to come to a screeching halt, "I know, I know, Gryffindor, but it wouldn't be fair to leave out someone so deserving of the House points in Slytherin. I apologize for giving you false hope, but I believe all of you deserve to be recognized and rewarded."

Before he could even elaborate, the entire room, staff and students alike, all had their eyes on me. I blushed and wished I could disappear behind Draco, but I sat under the pressure of all their looks.

"For not only the immense bravery and power shown, but also outstanding teamwork with those originally thought of as enemies, I award Miss Ravenfire Ashe fifty House points."

If it hadn't been because of me, the other Houses would have been gravely disappointed that Slytherin pulled it out in the end. However, as we were awarded the House Cup, even the Gryffindors cheered and clapped, grinning at me.

The only thing that would have made it better would have been if I could've breathed, for both Pansy and Draco had turned to give me a bone-crushing hug.

"Congratulations," a voice came from behind me.

I had been standing at the top of one of the towers, looking over Hogwarts. In just a few days, I would be leaving for the summer and returning home…to my father. I wasn't ready to go just yet, but standing here, looking down at it, I could pretend I'd never have to leave.

Turning around, I saw Harry standing at the top of the stairs.

"How did you know where I was?" I asked.

Harry shrugged and came to stand next to me. He placed his hands next to mine on the stone wall in front of us and stared out at the castle.

"I didn't know you were up here," he replied.

I smiled at him and let my own eyes return to the scene in front of us.

"I'm going to miss this place," I muttered.

"I am too. It's home, you know?"

"More than home," I agreed, "Better than home."

"It's going to be hard leaving for the summer."

"I know. It'll be harder for you."

"What do you mean?" asked Harry, not unkindly, as he turned to look at me.

"Well, I've got my best friend when I leave. Weasley and Hermione won't see you until next year. You'll miss them, I'm sure."

"I'll miss you too."

I shot him a look.

"You don't mean that," I whispered.

"I certainly do. You're my friend, Raven."

I looked away. Far below the tower, I could see students moving around the courtyard, saying their goodbyes already.

"You're my friend too," I murmured, almost surprised to find that I truly meant it, "And I'll miss you as well."

Seemingly satisfied with my answer, he turned back to look at the castle. We said nothing else after that. We just stood, staring out at the place we both called home, sharing a private moment together before we'd be separated for three months.

And it was strange to discover that I felt truly happy.


	18. Chapter 18

**Hello, everyone! So this is the last chapter of Ravenfire Ashe: First Year. As I mentioned in the previous chapter, to make sure you don't miss Ravenfire Ashe: Second Year, I'd recommend following me. If you don't want to, I understand! Just make sure you keep your eye out for it in the next few days. Ideally, I'll get it up tomorrow, but I'm a college student, so I know that my work load may or may not prevent me from doing so.**

 **In the meantime, enjoy this final chapter of Raven's first year!**

 **Chapter Eighteen**

"Exam scores are in!" Pansy sang as she burst into our dorm room, "I picked up yours too."

I stopped packing to grab the paper being handed to me.

"Thanks," I responded, collapsing onto my bed while I read over my scores.

"What did ya get?" she asked.

There was obviously something in her mouth that resembled chewing gum. She gnawed on it obnoxiously. I forced myself to ignore it.

"As I thought…horrible," I lied with a fake chuckle as I looked at a long line of O's, "What about you?"

"Pretty bad on everything except potions. I still passed, though."

"Well, that's good," I told her as I packed the report card away. Mother would be proud when I showed her later.

I stood up and continued packing the last of my items. There would be one final meal before I would get on the train that evening, but I wasn't ready to go.

"Are you excited to see your family again?" asked Pansy, sprawled out on her bed.

"Yes, of course," I lied, "Don't you miss your family?"

"Yes, I do."

It wasn't that I didn't trust Pansy, but it was none of her business. She didn't need to know that my life at home wasn't good. She didn't need to know that I'd be in danger from the moment I stepped off the train at Platform 9 ¾ until the moment I boarded it again in August.

We just weren't close enough.

"My family does this thing…" Pansy began, and I stopped listening.

With my back to her, I packed the rest of my uniforms until there was nothing left in the room except my trunks. Still, she went on talking.

But I didn't want to hear about her family.

Not when the reality of mine was so close. So dangerous.

There was no escape, and listening to her talk about her family only saddened me.

"It's always really fun," she finished, and I turned around, a polite smile plastered on my face.

"That _does_ sound fun."

I tucked my wand into the waist band of my skirt and headed towards the door.

"I'm going to go have dinner now. I'll see you on the train."

"Okay," Pansy sighed contently, falling back on her bed.

* * *

It was later that night when Draco and I had returned home. Narcissa had picked us both up from the train station and took us back to Malfoy Manor, where my parents were waiting. The four of them ate dinner together while Draco and I talked in the drawing room, before the fireplace. I had not had a chance to tell him what had gone on at Hogwarts before then, so I told him the entire story. I was almost at the end when he cut me off, his eyes wide with awe.

"Quirrell?" he asked in disbelief.

"Yes," I responded, "But you'll never guess what he was hiding under his turban."

"Oh my god! He was bald, wasn't he?"

"Well, yes," I scoffed, rolling my eyes as I smirked, "but on the back of his head, there was a second face!"

"Who was it?" he whispered excitedly.

"It was-."

"Raven, dear," my mother interrupted, walking into the room with my father at her heels, "I think we're going to head home."

My stomach twisted.

Even though my father had been at Malfoy Manor when I arrived, it was sickening to think that I'd be alone with him and Mother all evening.

All summer.

I didn't know what I would be in trouble for, but I was confident there would be something. I felt like I would be sick with worry, but I managed to cover it up with a smile.

"Yes Mother," I said, standing up, but my hands were shaking.

Narcissa and Lucius walked into the room behind my parents. Both of their eyes shot to my trembling body. Apparently, I wasn't hiding my fear as well as I'd thought. That would surely get me into trouble when I got home.

Narcissa's eyes moved away from me to focus on a point on the other side of the room.

But it was Lucius who spoke.

"It's very late. Raven is, no doubt, exhausted. Why don't you let her stay here tonight?"

Father turned and looked at him. Though the suggestion seemed like just that, he saw right through it. He knew exactly what Lucius was trying to do.

But at the same time, how was he to refuse without looking like he was challenging his best friend?

He gave Lucius a curt nod and looked back at me.

"Very well. But I expect you back as soon as you're awake tomorrow morning."

"Yes, Father," I whispered.

He turned to leave the room, but I didn't miss the glare he shot at Lucius before he disappeared. My mother, on the other hand, walked up to me and wrapped me in her arms.

"I'm so happy you're home," she whispered into my hair, "I know it may not seem like it, but we both missed you very much."

A lie, but I smiled anyway.

"I missed you too, Mother."

Then she was gone, following my father to the door without a backwards glance at me.

Narcissa walked them out, leaving Draco and Lucius with me.

"Thank you, Daddy," I told Mr. Malfoy with a sleepy grin.

"For what?"

"For…letting me stay here tonight."

"Think nothing of it. You don't usually. There were many nights where I didn't even know you were here."

"You know what I mean," I whispered, looking at him seriously. More seriously than I'd ever looked at him.

And it took him off guard.

He struggled to respond. We had hardly ever acknowledged my Father's abusive behavior before, apart from Lucius taking care of me when I was done being punished. I'd never verbally expressed my fear of him, and we had never, ever discussed Lucius' involvement.

Instead of saying anything, he turned and left the room.

"I'm sorry you're afraid of your father," muttered Draco.

"You're afraid of yours too."

"Not like that."

I shrugged, "I'll be fine."

"So…who was on the back of Quirrell's head?"

I still stood in the drawing room, facing the doorway and staring at the spot where Lucius had just been standing.

"The Dark Lord."

My words immediately created a heavy silence in the room until I spoke again.

"And he says I'm already his."

 ** _End of Ravenfire Ashe: First Year_**


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